i can explain psychopharmacology describe properties, use, and side effects of: antipsychotic...

I CANI CAN

• Explain psychopharmacology

• Describe properties, use, and side effects of: • Antipsychotic Medications• Anti-depressants• Anti-anxiety • stimulants

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

How Is the BiomedicalApproach Used to

Treat Mental Disorders?

Biomedical therapies seek to treat mental disorders by

1. changing the brain’s

chemistry with drugs, its

2. circuitry with surgery, or its 3. patterns of activity with

pulses of electricity or powerful magnetic fields

Psychopharmacology

The prescribed use of drugs to help treat symptoms of mental illness…

The psychological approach would use these to ensure that individuals are more receptive to talk

therapies.

Antipsychotic DrugsMedicines that diminish psychotic symptoms such as

agitation, delusions, or hallucinations. These include chlorpromazine, haloperidol, and clozapine

Diminish symptoms usually by their effect on dopamine pathways in the brain.

They may have side effects like..

Tardive dyskinesia blurred vision dizzinessdrowsinessdry mouthlight sensitivity

Tardive Dyskinesia

An incurable disorder of motor control resulting from long-term use of antipsychotic drugs

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Antidepressants and mood stabilizers

• Include Prozac, monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, and lithium carbonate (effective against bipolar disorder)

• Treat depression and bipolar disorder

• Usually affects serotonin and/or norepinephrine by increasing their reuptake or production

• May take weeks to get to therapeutic levels

PaxilZoloftLuvoxEffexorWellbutrin

Drugs used to treat depression usually fall in TWO types:

1. MAOs: monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Monoamine oxidase…inhibitors that block the activity of an enzyme that breaks down serotonin

2. SSRIs: selective serotonin reuptake initiators

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Dangerous side effects can include an increase in suicidal thoughts or actions, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, withdrawals if stopped unexpectedly etc…

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Anti-Anxiety Drugs• Include barbiturates and benzodiazepines• May include some antidepressant drugs

which work on certain anxiety disorders• Are intended to decrease extreme anxiety

and PAs by increasing the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA

• These are heavy depressants which can cause fatigue and a disconnection from reality. CANNOT be taken with regularity or while trying to perform most tasks

• Should not be used to relieve ordinary anxieties of everyday life

• Should not be taken for more than a few days at a time

• Should not be combined with alcohol

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

StimulantsSuppress activity level in persons with

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Since 1991 prescriptions for all drugs to treat ADHD have quintupled. This year about six million children, will take Ritalin or other forms of methylphenidate.

Work by increasing the activity of the thalamus, thereby increasing the “filter” with which we focus.

Side effects include fatigue/”crash”, decrease in appetite, weight loss, etc…

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

CAN I?CAN I?

• Explain psychopharmacology

• Describe properties, use, and side effects of: • Antipsychotic Medications• Anti-depressants• Anti-anxiety • stimulants

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007