Antipsychotic medication

• Antipsychotic medication is used to treat schizophrenia and other conditions where individuals seem to be exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia or extreme mood swings that are evident in some other psychological conditions (such as bipolar disorder).
• Conventional antipsychotics (or typical antipsychotics) were initially developed in the 1950s. They work by primarily blocking dopamine neurotransmission.
• Atypical antipsychotics (second generation antipsychotics) are a newer type of drug. They have been used since the late 1990s and, although they still primarily affect dopamine neurotransmission, they also affect the work of other neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
• Neurotransmitters such as dopamine are released at synapses. They enable neural messages to be sent from one neuron to another across the synapse. Too much or too little of a neurotransmitter at the synapse affects the message that is sent. Drugs aim to increase or decrease neurotransmitter levels, as appropriate.