biological therapies for schizophrenia

• drug therapies:

  • most common treatment is antipsychotics, may be required short/long term
  • divided into typical and atypical
• typical antipsychotics:

  • combats symptoms associated with dopamine hypothesis
  • act as antagonists - chemicals reduce action of dopamine + block dopamine receptors in brain synapses
  • dopamine production increases then decreases - normalises neurotransmission + helps with symptoms
• chloropromazine:

  • effective sedative, typically first used when first admitted
• atypical antipsychotics:

  • combats positive symptoms, but also has beneficial effect on negative
  • blocks dopamine receptors, temporarily occupies before rapid dissociation - leads to normal transmission + less side effects
• clozapine:

  • withdrawn due to blood clotting but later found more effective - last resort treatment due to potential fatal effects
  • acts on serotonin + glutamate receptors - helps with depression, may increase cognitive functioning, given if risk of suicide (30-50% of patients)
• risperidone:

  • effective but without strong side effects - some evidence that it leads to decrease in side effects
  • binds to dopamine + serotonin receptors more strongly, effective in smaller doses
• EVALUATION: research support for drug effectiveness

  • leucht et al - analysed effectiveness of placebos + antipsychotics, drugs more effective for positive + negative symptoms
  • leucht et al - if given placebo 2x more likely to relapse
  • clear evidence for drug effectively reducing symptoms
• EVALUATION: counter evidence for effectiveness

  • leucht - small proportion of those taking placebos didnt relapse (36%)
  • placebo somewhat effective in stopping relapse even though it didnt provide treatment - figure wasnt 0%
  • lowers validity, if antipsychotics were appropriate placebos wouldnt prevent relapses
• EVALUATION: serious side effects

  • range of effects from weight gain to parkinsonian in 50% + long term can cause tardive dyskenesia
  • atypical have less but still occurs e.g clozapine + blood clotting
  • may lead to stopping use, other drugs will have to be prescribed to control effects
• EVALUATION: reductionism

  • ross + reid - when prescribed it reinforces idea that something is wrong
  • prevents from thinking and finding stressors - cant alleviate dysfunction
  • environmental stressors ignored, bio treatment not appropriate, need for more holistic approach