Biological treatments for schizophrenia

Question 1

What drugs are used to treat schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Antipsychotics

Question 2

What are the 2 types of antipsychotics?

Answer 2

Typical

Atypical

Question 3

Give an example of a typical antipsychotic.

Answer 3

Chlorpromazine

Question 4

What do typical antipsychotics do?

Answer 4

• Work as antagonists in the dopamine system.
• Antagonists are chemicals which reduce the action of a neurotransmitter.
• They work by blocking dopamine reception in the synapses of the brain, reducing the action of dopamine.

Question 5

When were atypical antipsychotics developed?

Answer 5

1970’s

Question 6

Give 2 examples of atypical antipsychotics.

Answer 6

Clozapine (1970’s)

Risperidone (1990’s)

Question 7

Why were atypical drugs developed?

Answer 7

The aim in developing new antipsychotics was to maintain or improve upon the effectiveness of drugs in suppressing the symptoms of psychosis and also minimise the side effects.

Question 8

What does clozapine do?

Answer 8

• Binds to dopmine receptors in the same way as chlorpromazine does but in addition, it acts on serotonin and glutamate receptors.
• Believed that this actions helps improve mood and reduce depression and anxiety in patients.
• Side effects are fewer but may be more fatal.

Question 9

Why was risperidone developed?

Answer 9

Developed in an attempt to produce a drug as effective as clozapine but without its serious side effects.

Question 10

State a positive of drug therapy in treating schizophrenia.

Answer 10

Evidence for effectiveness:

• Thornley - reviewed studies comparing the effects of chlorpromazine to control conditions in which patients received a placbo
• data - 13 trials and 1121 patients
• showed that chlorpromazine was associated with better overall functioning and reduced symptoms severity
• Metlzer - concluded that clozapine is more effective than typical antipsychotics and that it is effective in 30-50% of treatment-resistant cases where typical drugs have failed

Question 11

State 2 negatives of drug therapy in treating schizophrenia.

Answer 11

Serious side effects:
- Typical: dizziness, weight gain, itchy skin, tardive dyskensia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome (coma, high temperature, delirium)
- Atypical: clozapine = regular blood tests to show signs of early onset of agranulocytosis
Use of anti-psychotics depends on the dopamine hypothesis:
- schizophrenia associated with higher than usual levels of dopamine in the sub cortex
- evidence also shows that dopamine levels in the brain other than the sub cortex have lower than usual levels of dopamine
- if this is true then it is not clear how antipsychotics (dopamine antagonists) can help with schizophrenia when they reduce dopamine activity