Describe the major classes of medications used in the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety and provide an example of each type of drug

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Antidepressant drugs act by increasing the levels of a specific group of neurotransmitters
(monoamines, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine) that are involved in the regulation of emotions and moods. About 80% of prescribed antidepressant drugs, such as Prozac and Zoloft , belong to a group of drugs called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). The SSRIs work primarily by raising the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Common side effects include nausea, insomnia, sedation, and sexual problems (such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction).

Mood-stabilizer drugs act by effecting the levels of neurotransmitters (such as norepinephrine and serotonin) to even out the highs and lows of mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder. One example of a mood-stabilizer drug is lithium, which is used to keep people from becoming too elated (manic) or too depressed. In terms of effectiveness, 50% of
bipolar patients are greatly helped with a combined drug program (lithium plus other
drugs), 30% are partially helped, and 20% get little or no help. Also, lithium has been found to be effective in treating individuals with mania (that is, the
manic episodes without the depression)

Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Restoril) reduce anxiety, worry, and stress by lowering physiological arousal, which results in a state of tranquility. Benzodiazepines provide a sense of tranquility by decreasing the activity of the sympathetic division of the central nervous system, which results in reduced heart rate, respiration, and muscle tension.

Neuroleptic drugs, also called antipsychotic drugs, are used to treat serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, by changing the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. There are two kinds of neuroleptic drugs: typical and atypical.
Typical neuroleptics were discovered in the 1950s and were the first effective medical treatment for schizophrenia. Typical neuroleptic drugs primarily reduce levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. One group of typical neuroleptics, called the phenothiazines, is widely prescribed to treat schizophrenia. Continued use of phenothiazines can produce unwanted motor movements, which is a side effect called tardive dyskinesia. Tardive dyskinesia involves the appearance of slow, involuntary, and uncontrollable rhythmic movements and rapid twitching of the mouth and lips, as well as unusual movements of the limbs.
Atypical neuroleptic drugs (clozapine, risperidone) lower levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, especially serotonin.
The first atypical neuroleptic, clozapine, was approved for use in schizophrenia in 1990 . Since then, atypical neuroleptics have proven effective in decreasing symptoms of schizophrenia,
especially in patients who were not helped by typical neuroleptics.