Antipsychotic drugs

• what do antipsychotics treat?

  psychotic mental disorders such as schizophrenia
• what causes illness treated by antipsychotics?

  high levels of dopamine in synapse
• what are the two types of antipsychotic?

  conventional

  atypical
• how to conventional antipsychotics work?

  block action of dopamine transmitters
• how to conventional antip's block dopamine?

  bind onto (not stimulate) dopamine receptors = block uptake of dopamine
• what does blocking uptake of dopamine result in?

  reduction in activity
• what symptoms do conventional antip's treat?

  positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusion)
• how do atypical antipsychotics work?

  allow normal dopamine transmission
• how to atypical antip's allow normal transmission?

  temporarily bind to dopamine receptor then rapidly dissociate
• what symptoms do atypical antip's treat?

  positive & negative (social withdrawal, lack of ambition)
• what is the difference between conventional & atypical?

  atypical has fewer side effects than conventional