biological therapies

antipsychotics

- reduce intensity of sz symptoms, especially positive ones (e.g. hallucinations)
- this treatment is based on the dopamine hypothesis
- it’s thought that schizophrenics produce too many dopamine receptors

typical antipsychotic drugs

- primarily used to combat the positive symptoms of sz (e.g. delusions and hallucinations)

- dopamine antagonists: chlorpromazine blocks dopamine receptors (particularly the D2 receptors), reducing neurotransmitter activity and symptoms 

- sedative effect: also acts as a sedative, calming effect (reduces anxiety) 

atypical antipsychotics

- combats both positive and negative symptoms of sz

- Clozapine: binds to dopamine receptors but also works on serotonin and glutamate. may improve mood and cognitive functioning (but potentially fatal agranulocytosis). 

- Risperidone: most recent, binds to dopamine receptors more strongly than clozapine does, so similar dose and fewer side effects.

AO3 - evaluations of biological therapies

limitation: side effects of typical antipsychotics

strength: effective

limitation: drugs are only palliative

Ao3 - limitation of typical antipsychotics: side effects

Kapur et al. (2000) estimated that between 60-70% of D2 receptors in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway must be blocked for typical antipsychotics to be effective.

consequently, a similar number of D2 receptors in other areas of the brain must also be blocked, which leads to side effects. one side effect is tardive dyskinesia, which often becomes a reason why patients stop taking their medication.

there are several dopamine pathways in the brain and while blocking dopamine receptors in one of them is useful, blocking dopamine receptors in the remaining pathways, like typical antipsychotics do, may be harmful to the patient.

Ao3 - strength of drug therapies: effective

effective in reducing the symptoms of sz, especially positive symptoms. relatively cheap to produce making them cost-effective, easy to administer and have positive effects on many sufferers, allowing them to live relatively normal lives outside of institutions.

it’s estimated that less than 3% of schizophrenics in UK live permanently in hospital largely due to medication.

Ao3 - limitation of drug therapies: drugs are only palliative

meaning they only treat the symptoms of sz and don’t offer a cure. if a patient stops taking their medication, their sz symptoms will return.

those from a psychodynamic perspective argue that drugs treat the symptoms of the illness but not the cause. this leads to the ‘revolving door phenomenon’, where patients are constantly being discharged and re-admitted to the hospital. they take their medication and thus feel better; then they wrongly assume that they’re cured and stop taking their drugs, only to get ill again and need to be hospitalised.