drug therapy

Typical Antipsychotics

AO1

• First generation Antipsychotics are called “Typical Antipsychotics” Eg. Chlorpromazine and Haloperidol.

• Typical antipsychotic drugs are used to reduce the intensity of positive symptoms, blocking dopamine receptors in the synapses of the brain and thus reducing the action of dopamine.

• They arrest dopamine production by blocking the D2 receptors in synapses that absorb dopamine, in the mesolimbic pathway thus reducing positive symptoms, such as auditory hallucinations.

• But they tended to block ALL types of dopamine activity, (in other parts of the brain as well) and this caused side effects and may have been harmful.

Atypical Antipsychotics

• Newer drugs, called “atypical antipsychotics” attempt to target D2 dopamine activity in the limbic system but not D3 receptors in other parts of the brain.

•Atypical antipsychotics such as Clozapine bind to dopamine, serotonin and glutamate receptors.

• Atypical antipsychotic drugs work on negative symptoms, improving mood, cognitive functions and reducing depression and anxiety.

• They also have some effect on other neurotransmitters such as serotonin. They generally have fewer side effects eg. less effect on movement Eg. Clozapine, Olazapine and Risperidone.

Ao3:

Antipsychotic drugs are highly effective as they are relatively cheap to produce, easy to administer and have a positive effect on many sufferers. However they do not "cure" schizophrenia, rather they dampen symptoms down so that patients can live fairly normal lives in…