Treatments For Sz - Drug Therapy Flashcards
what are the treatments for schizophrenia
- drug therapy
- CBT (psychological)
- family therapy (psychological)
what are the two anti - psychotic drugs in drug therapy?
- typical anti psychotics ; 1st gen
- atypical anti psychotic ; 2nd gen
what is the order of these anti - psychotic drugs that patients should take them in?
typical anti-psychotics are used more often, if symptoms do not improve then atypical antipsychotics may be used.
what is an example of a typical anti-psychotic drug?
chlorpromazine
define typical antipsychotics (AO1 - 1st point)
- 1st gen antispychotics; chloropromazine are dopamine antagonists, they reduce levels of dopamine activity in the brain
how does chloropromazine work? (AO1 - 2nd point)
- binds to D2 receptors on post synaptic neuron in brain, reducing activity levels of dopamine
what is the result of typical antispychotics - chloropromazine?
(AO1 - 3rd point)
- reduces positive symptoms of sz such as hallucinations
- they are also used as a sedative and can be used to calm patients
For an 8 mark essay would you use typical antipsychotics for AO1 for atypical antispsychotics?
Typical antispychotics - chloropromazine
What is an example of an atypical antispychotic drug?
Clozapine
define atypical antipsychotics (AO1 - 1st point)
Second gen - atypical antipsychotics act on dopamine AND seretonin
how does clozapine act on dopamine?
(AO1 - 2nd point)
- clozapine also binds to D2 receptor sites on the post synaptic neuron
- this reduces positive symptoms such as hallucinations
How does clozapine act on seretonin?
- 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
Summarise typical antipsychotics
Typical antipsychotics - chloropromazine
Reduces dopamine activity - anatagonist
Blocks D2 receptors in the brain - lower dopamine brain activity
Reduce positive symptoms - hallucinations and delusions
Summarise atypical antipsychotics
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
what are the three PEELS to evaluate drug therapy?
RTS - effectiveness of drug therapy
strength - requires less motivation than CBT
weakness - has negative side effects
what are the two psychological treatments for sz?
- CBT
- family therapy
what is the aim of CBT ?
(AO1 - 1st point)
- 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
what are the steps of CBT ?
(AO1 - 2nd point)
- 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
what is the result of CBT?
(AO1 - 3rd point)
- 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
what is another method of CBT?
(AO1 - 4th point)
positive self talk can also be used, e.g. if indv hears neg voices, they can say pos statements to challenge auditory hallucinations
