Biological treatment- schizophrenia

Question 1

Drug therapies- generic info

1- how long do they take to reduce symptoms?
2- how do doses vary between individuals?
3- how do they work as a combination therapy?

Answer 1

antipsychotics don’t cure schizophrenia, just reduce the symptoms to allow sufferers to function relatively normally

1= after a few days, hallucinations start to reduce. delusions reduce after a few weeks

2= some have to take only 1 course, while others have to take regular doses to avoid relapsing, some don’t respond to medication at all

3= anti-psychotic drugs administered first, reducing symptoms which allows psychological therapies to be more effective

Question 2

Typical antipsychotics-

1- named example?
2- how do they work and which symptoms to they combat?
3- side effects they cause?
4- what does long term use cause in 15% of users?

Answer 2

1= chlorpromazine
2= work by reducing dopamine production (block receptors in synapse that absorb dopamine) and they reduce positive symptoms
3= dry mouth, urinary problems, constipation (all very common)
4= causes TD, which is a disorder that causes uncontrollable muscle movements

Question 3

Atypical antispsychotics-

1- named example?
2- how do they work and which symptoms do they target?
3- what are the side effects?

Answer 3

1=clozapine
2= act on serotonin as well as dopamine systems and target negative symptoms
3= have fewer SE than typical drugs, but they’re more extreme:
- weight gain, increased risk of stroke, sudden cardiac death, blood clots, diabetes, muscle tremors

Question 4

Anti-psychotic drugs- research evidence:

• meta analysis of drugs with placebos…
• comparison of typical and atypical drugs…

Answer 4

DAVIS:
- meta-analysis of over 100 studies that compared anti-psychotics with placebos
- drugs more effective, over 70% of sufferers treated with anti-psychotics improved in condition after 6 weeks
- fewer than 25% improved after 6 weeks when on placebo drugs
= ANTIPSYCHOTICS HAVE A GENUINE MEDICAL EFFECT

SCHOOLER:
- studied effectiveness of T and AT drugs and found them both to be effective in treating schizophrenia
- 75% experienced at least a 20% reduction in symptoms
- 55% with T and 42% for AT relapsed
- fewer side affects with AT drugs makes them superior