Evaluation of Drug Therapies

Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 12.2.5

Support for Drug Therapies

Thornley et al. (2003) concluded that Chlorpromazine was associated with better overall functioning and the reduction of symptom severity.

Thornley et al. (2003) conducted a review of studies comparing the effects of Chlorpromazine to controls who received a placebo.
There was a total of 13 trials and 1,121 participants.
They concluded that Chlorpromazine was associated with better overall functioning and the reduction of symptom severity.
Thornley et al. (2003) also found that in three trials of 512 participants, Chlorpromazine reduced incidences of relapse.

Atypical antipsychotics have been found to be effective in 30% to 50% of treatment of resistant cases, that is, where other typical antipsychotics have failed.

Both typical and atypical antipsychotics are effective in the treatment of schizophrenia, but only moderately.

It’s often unclear how antipsychotics help or work. Indeed, they often shouldn’t work.
Healy (2012) claims that evidence supporting the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs might not be straightforward because some of the successful trials have had their data published several times, possibly exaggerating the claims.
Some antipsychotic drugs might be successful because of their calming effect and do nothing for the severity of the symptoms.

Comparison studies into the effectiveness of Clozapine compared with other antipsychotics (e.g. Risperidone) have been inconclusive, perhaps because some patients respond better to one drug than the other.

The effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs is based on the premise of the dopamine hypothesis, which may be an incomplete theory of schizophrenia. The dopamine hypothesis says that the dopamine system of schizophrenia patients is overreactive.
In fact, levels of dopamine in some parts of the brain (other than the subcortex) are too low rather than too high.

Both typical and atypical antipsychotics are effective in the treatment of schizophrenia, but only moderately.

Side effects are major weakness of typical antipsychotic drugs, and include:
- Dizziness, agitation, sleepiness, stiff jaw, weight gain and itchy skin.

Long-term use of typical antipsychotic drugs can result in tardive dyskinesia, which is related to dopamine supersensitivity and leads to involuntary muscle movements such as grimacing and blinking.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a condition that leads to high temperature, delirium, coma and sometimes death.
It affects between 0.1% and 2% of those taking antipsychotics, although this has been reduced because of the lower dosage levels of newer drugs.

Atypical antipsychotics have reduced the frequency of side-effect, but they still exist.
Patients taking Clozapine must have regular blood tests to detect early signs of agranulocytosis.
Side effects remain a significant weakness of antipsychotic drugs.

Atypical antipsychotics have been found to be effective in what percentage of treatment of resistant cases (where other typical antipsychotics have failed)?
Why did Healy (2012) claim that evidence supporting the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs might be exaggerated?
Fill in the gap: Some antipsychotic drugs might be successful because of their ____ effect and do nothing for the severity of the symptoms.
Which of the following are associated with long-term use of typical antipsychotic drugs?