Schizophrenia Flashcards

1
Q

What is Schizophrenia?

A

A disease of neuronal disconnection

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2
Q

What are the causes of Schizophrenia?

A

Migration, infections, viruses and toxins. Could be family history - genes

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3
Q

What is the difference between Typical and Atypical treatments?

A

Typical treat just the positive symptoms and works just on dopamine exclusively. This is 1st generation

Atypical - Works on Dopamine, 5Ht-2a. This is 2nd generation drugs.

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4
Q

What is the peak age onset for Schiz?

A

Men: 21-26 years
Women: 25-32 years

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5
Q

What are the different models in Schiz?

A

Vulnerability model - stress precipitator, depending on personality, social network or environment

Developmental model - Prenatal and perinatal development key - also adolescence

Ecological model - External factors - social and cultural factors

Genetic model - Higher incidence in siblings

Transmitter abnormality model - Dopamine theory

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6
Q

What are positive symptoms of Schiz?

A

Positive symptoms add something to what wasn’t there .

Symptoms include:
These normally respond well to antipyschotics.

Hallucinations - sensing an external stimulus that isn’t there; any sense can be affected

Delusions - Believing in something that’s not true

Thought disorder - distorted or illogical speech, no logical chain of thought

Lack of insight - unaware that they are unwell

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7
Q

What are negative symptoms of Schiz?

A

Negative symptoms take away

Symptoms include:
Poor response to antipsychotics

  • Apathy (lack of emotion, feeling, passion, concern)
  • Self-neglect
  • Emotional blunting / affective flattening
  • Alogia
  • Avolition (loss of motivation and initative)
  • Social / occupational dysfunction
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8
Q

What are some rating sclaes to assess symptoms?

A

Brief Psychiatric rating schale; scales for the assessment of positive/negative symptoms (SAPS, SANS); Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)

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9
Q

What should be done if onset of psychosis is suspected in a patient?

A

The patient should be referred quickly to secondary care such as early intervention team, crisis resolution or home treatment teams, community mental health teams etc.

A mental health care professional needs to confirm psychotic symptoms; depending on risk assessment, presentation ect, the patient may be admitted to Hospital

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10
Q

What is needed for a Schiz patient to be admitted to Hospital?

A

Consent of patient OR the use of the Mental Health Act (e.g. to section the patient).

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11
Q

What is the management for Acute episodes / first episode psychosis?

A
  • Offer oral antipsychotics - decision of which made by the service user and health care professional together
  • Offer pyschological interventions (family intervention etc.)
    Treatment is more effective when both of these are used together
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12
Q

What are the different classifications for antipsychotic medications with Schizs?

A

Metabolic - weight gain, diabetes

Cardiovascular - Prolonging the QT interval

Hormonal - Hyperprolactinaemia

Extrapyramidal - Akathisia, dyskinesia and dystonia

Other - Unpleasant subjective experiences such as dysphoria

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13
Q

What baseline investigations should be recorded before starting antipsychotic medications?

A
  • Weight
  • Waist circumference
  • Pulse and blood pressure
  • Fasting blood glucose or HbA1C
  • Blood lipid profile
  • Prolactin levels
  • Assessment of movement disorders
  • ECG
  • Assessment of nutritional status, diet and level of physical activity
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14
Q

What are the NICE prescribing guidlines for Schiz?

A

NICE recommends starting treatment at lowest dose and increasing slowly if needed.
Antipsychotics medication should be used at optimum dosage for a minimum of 4-6 weeks before review.

Loading dose of antipsychotic should not be used and should not be prescribed concurrently except for short changeover periods

Small response to optimum dose should result in changing the class.
If bad side effects occur with typical antipyschotics, consider atypical

Polypharmacy should be reserved for inadequate therpay

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15
Q

How long should antipsychotic medications be taken for, for Schiz?

A

1-2 years, and withdraw gradually to reduce the high risk of relapse

Monitor for relapse for 2 years after medications have been withdrawn

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16
Q

What adherence must you consider for antipsychotic medications for Schiz?

A
  • Poor tolerability - switch drug
  • Poor memory - consider compliance aids, alarms etc
  • Lack of insight or personal preference - depot/long-acting injection
17
Q

What should be monitored and when?

A

Response to treatment including changes to symptoms and behaviour - Regularly and systemically throughout, especially during titration

Side effects of treatment - Regularly and systemically throughout, especially during titration

The emergence of treatment disorders - Regularly and systemically throughout, especially during titration

Weight - Weekly for the first 6 weeks, then at 12 weeks, at 1 year and then annually (plotted on chart)

Waist circumference - Annually

Pulse and blood pressure - At 12 weeks, at 1 year and then annually

Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and blood lipid levels - At 12 weeks, at 1 year and then anually

Adherence - Regularly and systemically throughout, especially during titration

Overall physical health - Regularly and systemically throughout, especially during titration

18
Q

How do typical and atypical antipsychotics work?

A

Typical works by blocking D2-receptors

Atypical are less potent at D2-receptors and also have an affinity of serotonin receptors (5HT-2A).

19
Q

What do Typical antipsychotics affect?

A

It effects positive symptoms.
Not as effective on negative and may make it worse

20
Q

What are the Typical pyschotics medications?

A

Phenothiazines are subdivided into 3 groups:

  • Group 1 includes chlorpromazine - most sedating and causes photosensitivity reactions; can also cause hypersensitivity reaction. Lowers seizure threshold. Has moderate antimyscarinic and extra-pydramidal side effects.
  • Group 2 includes pericyazine - has moderate sedative effects, marked antimuscarinic effects but less extra-pydramidal side effects than group 1 or 3
  • Group 3 includes trifluoperazine - has fewer sedative effetcs, less antimuscarinic effects but more extra-pydramidal side effects than group 1 or 3

Butyrophenones - Haloperidol; optimal response around 10-12mg/day

Thioxanthines - Flupentixol and zuclopenthixol are usually prescribed as depots

Diphenylbutylpiperidines - Pimozide

Substituted benzamides

21
Q

What are some atypical antipsychotics?

A

Clozapine - only effective when treating resistant schizophrenia. And effective in negative symptoms. Requires regular haematological and cardiac monitoring

Olanzapine - sedative, produces some postural hypotension and has anticholinergic side effects, weight gain – increased risk of diabetes and raised
plasma lipids

Risperidone: Adverse side effetcs at high doses, causes hyperprolactinaemia and has a first dose hypotensive effect, so increasing dosing regimen used over first few days

Quetiapine: Requires dose titration (like risperidone), causes raised plasma lipids and can induce hypothyroidism

Amisulpride

Aripiprazole, paliperidone (a metabolite of risperidone), lurasidone, cariprazine - THESE ARE NEWER

22
Q

What are the side effects of Clozapine?

A
  • agranulocytosis (0.8%)
  • neutropenia (3%)
  • thromboembolism
  • cardiomyopathy
  • myocarditis
  • constipation
23
Q

What must be considered for depot injections / long-acting injections?

A

Typical antipsychotics - deconoate ( “ x deconoate”) - require the administration of a “test dose”
before proceeding to access for tolerability

Administer typical depots at the longest possible licensed interval (usually 2-4
week intervals.

Always begin at lowest therapeutic dose

Atypicals such as risperidone, paliperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine) - require a period of oral administration before proceeding to the long-acting injection. This is to test for tolerability and efficacy.

Atypicals can be administered at different time-intervals:

Risperidone:
- Risperdal Consta every two weeks
- Okedi every four weeks

Paliperidone:
- Xeplion every month
- Trevicta every three months

Aripiprazole (Abilify) every month

Olanzapine (ZypAdhera) every two to four weeks

After adequate period of assessment, adjust dose if needed.

24
Q

What are the side effects of Antipsychotics?

A

Extra-pydramidal side effects (EPS, EPSEs)

Hyperprolactinaemia

Cardiovascular and Metabolic side
effects

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
(NMS)

  • Postural hypotension
  • Anticholinergic side effects
  • Reduced seizure threshold
25
Q

What are the Extra-pyramidal side effects of Antipsychotics?

A

Dystonia, pseudo-parkinsonism, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia (TD).

Dystonia – oculogyric spasm and torticollis – treat with anticholinergic (e.g.
procyclidine).

Parkinsonian – tremor, rigidity etc - treat with anticholinergic, not dopamine
agonists.

Akathisia – motor restlessness 20-25% on typicals- switch to atypical if severe or add propranolol. Aripiprazole and lurasidone commonly cause akathisia

TD – reduce and discontinue anticholinergics as these worsen TD, reduce antipsychotic to minimum effective dose, switch to an atypical as they are less
associated with TD.

EPSEs much more common with typicals but can occur in higher doses in atypicals

26
Q

What is hyperprolactinemia? And what medications can cause it?

A

A condition of too much prolactin in the blood of women who are not pregnant and in men.

All typicals have risk of hyperprolactinaemia.
Olanzapine has minimal effect.
Risperidone and amisulpiride have potent effects.

27
Q

What are the Cardiovascular and Metabolic side effects of antipsychotic medications?

A
  • Psychotropic-related QT prolongation
  • Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance
  • Hyperlipidaemia
  • Weight gain
28
Q

What rare condition can antipsychotics cause?

A

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
(NMS)

Caused by:
- Rapid blockade of dopamine receptors leading to a resetting of thermoregulatory systems and severe skeletal muscle spasm.
- Considerable heat load that cannot be dissipated
- And enormous load of muscle breakdown products leading to severe renal damage

Symptoms include:
- Mild to moderate hyperthermia
- Fluctuating consciousness
- Muscular rigidity
- Severe EPSE especially rigidity
- Increased serum creatine phosphokinase
leucocytosis and LFTs abnormal.

29
Q

What must be done when withdrawing from Antipsychotic?

A

Slowly taper antipsychotic probably over at least 8 weeks

Slowly taper any anticholinergic that was started to treat antipsychotic-induced adverse effects.

Monitor mental and physical state regularly, especially in first month

If reducing off depots - Discontinue oral antipsychotics first if on any; Increase interval between injections up to 4 weeks before decreasing dose; Reduce dose by no more
than one third at any one time;

Special consideration is needed for Risperdal Consta due to it’s pharmacokinetic profile

30
Q

What must be considered when thinking about switching Antipsychotic?

A
  • The stability of the person’s mental health
  • The emergence of intolerable adverse effects from the initial antipsychotic
  • The emergence of new adverse effects from the next antipsychotic
  • The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of the two antipsychotics
31
Q

What approaches can be done when switching antipsychotic?

A

One common approach is to taper off first drug, then gradually increase second drug with no drug-free interval.

Alternatively, taper off first drug with partial overlap with gradual increase of second drug.