Biological Therapy

Question 1

What are antipsychotics?

Answer 1

-drugs used to reduce the intensity of symptoms

Question 2

What are typical antipsychotics?

Answer 2

-first generation of drugs for S and other psychotic disorders
-work as dopamine antagonists

Question 3

What are atypical antipsychotics?

Answer 3

-drugs for S developed after typical antipsychotics
-target a range of NT such as dopamine and serotonin

Question 4

What is an example of typical anti-psychotics?

Answer 4

-chloropromazine
-work by blocking receptors to reduce positive symptoms

Question 5

What is the association with dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 5

-between dopa hypo and chlorpromazine
-example of an antagonist
-when initially taken - levels increase but production is reduced
-this effect normalises neurotransmission

Question 6

What is the sedation effect?

Answer 6

-effect of chlorpromazine
-often used to calm individuals for anxious hospital patients

Question 7

How to atypical antipsychotics work?

Answer 7

-blocking receptors but then separate to allow normal transmission

Question 8

What are examples of atypical antipsychotics?

Answer 8

-clozapine and risperidone

Question 9

What is clozapine?

Answer 9

-withdrawn due to blood condition deaths
-then remarketed when other treatments failed
-when taking you have to have regular blood tests
-often prescribed for high risk suicide

Question 10

How does clozapine work?

Answer 10

-binds to dopamine receptors
-also acts on serotonin and glutamate which decreases depression

Question 11

What is risperidone?

Answer 11

-developed to mirror clozapine without the side effects
-small dose initially then built up

Question 12

How does risperidone work?

Answer 12

-binds more strongly to receptors
-more effective

Question 13

What is support to biological therapy?

Answer 13

-support for effectiveness in tackling symptoms of S
-Thornley - reviewed studies comparing effects of chlorpromazine to control conditions
-the 13 trials showed that C was associated with better overall functioning and reduced symptom severity compared to placebo
-means that as far as research goes, antipsychotics are effective

Question 14

What is contradiction to biological therapy?

Answer 14

-serious side effects
-associated with a range of them like dizziness, sleepiness and weight gain
-long term use can result is tardive dyskinesia = caused by dopamine supersensitivity = uncontrolled facial movements
-can also result in neuroleptic malignant in hypothalamus = coma - could be fatal
-can affect just over 2%
-means that they do harm as well as good and individuals who experience these may avoid such treatments

Question 15

What is an alternative to biological therapy?

Answer 15

-CBT
-NICE have found that when CBT is paired with antipsychotics -it was more effective in reducing rehospitalisation rates up to 18 mths after treatment compared to on their own
-if all patients just take drug therapy or also did CBT it is shown to be effective

Question 16

What is an issue and debate to biological therapy?

Answer 16

-biologically reductionist as it assumes the cause of S is a chemical imbalance
-eg. drugs are used to regulate dopamine and serotonin levels as it is assumed that these must be out of balance
-suggests that it only considers the biological debate and not environmental debate