Schizophrenia - biological therapies Flashcards
biological therapies
drugs, antipsychotics for schizophrenia help relieve symptoms of delusions and hallucinations
what is the difference between the UK’s and US’s ideal treatment for schizophrenia
UK’s ideal treatment is a combination of psychological and biological. US focuses a lot more on drug therapy
what is another word for drug therapies
pharmacotherapy
two types of biological therapies
medication and electrotherapy
what types of medication treats schizophrenia
antipsychotics
biomedical therapies
physiologically changes brains neurochemical state
antipsychotics role
blocks dopamine receptors
what are the two types of antipsychotics
typical (traditional) and atypical
example of typical antipsychotic?
chlorpromazine
how does chlorpromazine work
dopamine antagonist. blocks dopamine receptors, reducing neurotransmitter activity and symptoms. also calms anxiety (sedative effect)
two examples of atypical antipsychotics
clozapine and risperidone
how does clozapine work
binds to dopamine receptors but also serotonin and glutamate. may improve mood and cognitive functioning but may cause fatal low levels of white blood cells
risperidone
most recent. binds to dopamine receptors stronger than clozapine so needs smaller dosage and has less side effects
strengths of biological therapies for schizophrenia
+ evidence for effectiveness. Thornley et al -> chlorpromazine less symptoms compared to placebo. Davis et al -> sig. reduction in symptoms and relapse when antipsychotics used. Meltzer -> clozapine effective in 30-50% cases where other antipsychotics failed to make difference
limitations of biological therapies for schizophrenia
- serious side effects: dizziness, agitation, tardive dyskinesia, weight gain, etc.
- the exact mechanisms of how antipsychotics work are unclear, the link between dopamine and schizophrenia symptoms is still being questionned
- concern that antipsychotics are being used to control patients in hospitals rather than treat them - ethical????
