Treatments For Sz - Drug Therapy

Question 1

what are the treatments for schizophrenia

Answer 1

• drug therapy
• CBT (psychological)
• family therapy (psychological)

Question 2

what are the two anti - psychotic drugs in drug therapy?

Answer 2

• typical anti psychotics ; 1st gen
• atypical anti psychotic ; 2nd gen

Question 3

what is the order of these anti - psychotic drugs that patients should take them in?

Answer 3

typical anti-psychotics are used more often, if symptoms do not improve then atypical antipsychotics may be used.

Question 4

what is an example of a typical anti-psychotic drug?

Answer 4

chlorpromazine

Question 5

define typical antipsychotics (AO1 - 1st point)

Answer 5

• 1st gen antispychotics; chloropromazine are dopamine antagonists, they reduce levels of dopamine activity in the brain

Question 6

how does chloropromazine work? (AO1 - 2nd point)

Answer 6

• binds to D2 receptors on post synaptic neuron in brain, reducing activity levels of dopamine

Question 7

what is the result of typical antispychotics - chloropromazine?
(AO1 - 3rd point)

Answer 7

• reduces positive symptoms of sz such as hallucinations
• they are also used as a sedative and can be used to calm patients

Question 8

For an 8 mark essay would you use typical antipsychotics for AO1 for atypical antispsychotics?

Answer 8

Typical antispychotics - chloropromazine

Question 9

What is an example of an atypical antispychotic drug?

Answer 9

Clozapine

Question 10

define atypical antipsychotics (AO1 - 1st point)

Answer 10

Second gen - atypical antipsychotics act on dopamine AND seretonin

Question 11

how does clozapine act on dopamine?
(AO1 - 2nd point)

Answer 11

• clozapine also binds to D2 receptor sites on the post synaptic neuron
• this reduces positive symptoms such as hallucinations

Question 12

How does clozapine act on seretonin?

Answer 12

• acts as an agonist on seretonin receptor sites to increase levels of seretonin
• this reduces neg symptoms of sz such as lack of emotions as it helps to improve mood and reduce dep and anx in patients

Question 13

Summarise typical antipsychotics

Answer 13

Typical antipsychotics - chloropromazine

Reduces dopamine activity - anatagonist

Blocks D2 receptors in the brain - lower dopamine brain activity

Reduce positive symptoms - hallucinations and delusions

Question 14

Summarise atypical antipsychotics

Answer 14

Atypical antipsychotics - clozapine

Reduces dopamine activity - antagonist
Increases seretonin activity - agonist

Binds to dopamine receptors
Acts on seretonin receptors

Reduces negative symptoms - lack of emotion and low mood

Question 15

what are the three PEELS to evaluate drug therapy?

Answer 15

RTS - effectiveness of drug therapy
strength - requires less motivation than CBT
weakness - has negative side effects

Question 16

what are the two psychological treatments for sz?

Answer 16

• CBT
• family therapy

Question 17

what is the aim of CBT ?
(AO1 - 1st point)

Answer 17

• the aim of CBT is to help patients identify and challenge irrational thoughts such as delusions and turn them into positive, rational ones using disputing
• CBT challenges irrational and unrealistic thought processes

Question 18

what are the steps of CBT ?
(AO1 - 2nd point)

Answer 18

• patient identifies irrational thoughts with therapist e.g. paranoid delusion aliens are trying to abduct them
• the therapist then challenges these irrational thoughts to encourage patients to find a less threatening exp
• this is done through empirical disputing
• the therapist would ask patient for evidence for the delusion/hallucination

Question 19

what is the result of CBT?
(AO1 - 3rd point)

Answer 19

• disputing helps patients und delusions/ hallucinations arent real and theyre just a symptom of sz
• therapist offers less threatening exp for these symptoms, this reduces stress and anx

Question 20

what is another method of CBT?
(AO1 - 4th point)

Answer 20

positive self talk can also be used, e.g. if indv hears neg voices, they can say pos statements to challenge auditory hallucinations