Typical antipsychotics
- Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat a range of mental disorders, including schizophrenia (psychotic refers to any condition in which a person loses touch with reality)
- Typical antipsychotics are also known as first generation antipsychotics as they have been in use since the 1950s
- Typical antipsychotics are dopamine antagonists i.e. they inhibit dopamine activity by blocking dopamine receptors in the synapse
- Examples of typical antipsychotics include chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine, acetophenazine and haloperidol
- Typical antipsychotics are more effective at treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia e.g. delusions
- Haloperidol and chlorpromazine come with side effects, some of which are quite severe e.g. drowsiness, agitation, dry mouth, blurred vision, lack of emotional response, dizziness, muscle stiffness or spasms
- Over-use of typical antipsychotics may lead to tardive dyskinesia (sensitivity to dopamine) or neuroleptic malignant syndrome (a result of dopamine being blocked in the thalamus) which can be life threatening
Typical antipsychotics are dopamine antagonists as they block dopamine receptors in the brain.