DRUG TREATMENTS FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA

WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF DRUGS?

Typical and Atypical

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DRUG?

- 1st generation drug, developed in the 1950s
- Blocks dopamine

WHAT SYMPTOMS ARE TYPICAL DRUGS USED TO REDUCE?

Positive symptoms e.g.:
- Aggression
- Incoherent speech
- Hallucinations

WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL DRUG THAT IS PRESCRIBED TO SCHIZOPHRENICS?

Chlorpromazine

HOW DOES CHLORPROMAZINE WORK?

- Blocks dopamine receptors
- Reduces dopamine firing + activity

WHO CONDUCTED RESEARCH INTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHLORPROMAZINE IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA?

Barlow & Durand

WHAT DID BARLOW & DURAND FIND? (2)

- Effective in reducing POSITIVE symptoms in 60% of cases
- Patients may still suffer from NEGATIVE symptoms

WHAT ARE 3 SIDE EFFECTS OF CHLORPROMAZINE?

- Sedative
- Tardive dyskinesia
- Muscle tightening in the neck and jaw

WHAT IS TARDIVE DYSKINESIA?

Abnormal involuntary movements

WHAT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL DRUG FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA?

Haloperidol

WHEN IS HALOPERIDOL PRESCRIBED TO PATIENTS?

If the schizophrenic have hyperactivity

WHAT DOES HALOPERIDOL DO?

Blocks dopamine receptors

WHAT SYMPTOMS DOES HALOPERIDOL REDUCE?

- Agitation
- Disorganised thinking
- Calming effect

WHAT ARE ATYPICAL DRUGS?

- 2nd generation drugs, developed in the 1990s
- Blocks dopamine AND serotonin

WHAT SYMPTOMS ARE ATYPICAL DRUGS USED TO REDUCE?

Positive AND negative symptoms:
- Flat effect
- Social withdrawal
- Delusions
- Hallucinations

WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ATYPICAL DRUG THAT IS PRESCRIBED TO SCHIZOPHRENICS?

Clozapine

HOW DOES CLOZAPINE WORK?

- Blocks dopamine and serotonin receptors
- Reduces dopamine firing and activity
- Reduces serotonin reabsorption to increase serotonin activity

HOW DOES REDUCING SEROTONIN REABSORPTION LEAD TO INCREASED SEROTONIN ACTIVITY?

- Serotonin remains in the synapse for longer
- Greater likelihood of serotonin binding to receptors on the post-synaptic neuron

WHO CONDUCTED RESEARCH IN TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CLOZAPINE IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA?

Pickar et al.

WHAT DID PICKAR ET AL. FIND?

- Clozapine was most effective when compared to other neuroleptics + placebo
- Reduced positive AND negative symptoms
- Effective on patients who were previously treatment resistant

WHAT ARE 3 SIDE EFFECTS OF CLOZAPINE?

- (Reduced) Tardive dyskinesia (compared to chlorpromazine)
- Dry mouth
- Agranulocytosis

WHAT IS AGRANULOCYTOSIS?

Low WBC count

DO TYPICAL OR ATYPICAL DRUGS HAVE MORE SIDE EFFECTS?

Typical drugs have more side effects than atypical drugs

CAN DRUG TREATMENT BE PAIRED WITH OTHER FORMS OF TREATMENT TO IMPROVE SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS' CONDITION? WHICH ONE?

CBT

HOW IS THE COMBINATION OF DRUG TREATMENT AND CBT A STRENGTH?

- CBT can help patients cope with mentally dealing with side effects and continuing the drug for the prescribed duration

HOW DOES DRUG TREATMENT LINK TO IMPLICATIONS ON THE ECONOMY?

- Symptoms are controlled with drugs
- Reduces risk of hospitalisation
- People can go back to work and live a near-to-normal life

WHAT IS AN ISSUE WITH DRUG TREATMENTS AND RELAPSING RISK?

- Relapse risk may still be high
- Schooler et al. found a 55% relapse rate

ARE THERE ANY BIASES ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG RESEARCH? IF SO HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE VALIDITY OF DRUG TREATMENTS FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA?

- Publication bias
- Drug research funded b
- Ulterior motives for the drug company (profits > treatment)
- Reduces the internal validity of the true effectiveness of drugs in reducing schizophrenic symptoms