Outline and Evaluate One Biological Therapy for Schizophrenia and One Psychological Therapy for Schizophrenia.
The main form of biological therapy for schizophrenia is drug therapy. Some drugs are more effective at reducing the positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucination than negative symptoms such as lack of motivation and social withdrawal. There are two main categories of drugs, neuroleptic drugs and atypical drugs.
Neuroleptic drugs such as Prolixin are conventional drugs that reduce psychotic symptoms but produce some of the symptoms of neurological diseases. These drugs block the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine within 48 hours and their effect on dopamine are believed to be very important in therapy. However it takes several weeks of drug therapy before schizophrenic symptoms show substantial reduction. These drugs are more effective in reducing positive symptoms than negative symptoms. This is supported by Birchwood and Jackson 2001 whose conclusion was the same. These drugs appear to be a more effective treatment for schizophrenia than any of the other approaches used alone. (Comer 2001)
Researches have shown that patients can get independent to drugs which means they might not be able to stop taking them otherwise they might have to face serious problems.
Neuroleptic drugs also have side effects. Windgassen 1992 found 50% of patients with schizophrenia who take neuroleptic drugs reported grogginess or sedation, 18% reported problems with concentration, and 16% had blurred vision. In addition many patients developed symptoms closely resembling those of Parkinson’s disease such as muscle rigidity, tremors and foot shuffling. Also it was found that more than 20% of patients who take neuroleptic drugs for over a year develop the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. These symptoms include involuntary sucking and chewing and writhing movements of the mouth or face.
Atypical antipsychotic drugs (such as clozapine) also combat positive symptoms of schizophrenia but there are claims that they also have beneficial effects on negative symptoms as well.
Neuroleptic drugs such as Prolixin are conventional drugs that reduce psychotic symptoms but produce some of the symptoms of neurological diseases. These drugs block the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine within 48 hours and their effect on dopamine are believed to be very important in therapy. However it takes several weeks of drug therapy before schizophrenic symptoms show substantial reduction. These drugs are more effective in reducing positive symptoms than negative symptoms. This is supported by Birchwood and Jackson 2001 whose conclusion was the same. These drugs appear to be a more effective treatment for schizophrenia than any of the other approaches used alone. (Comer 2001)
Researches have shown that patients can get independent to drugs which means they might not be able to stop taking them otherwise they might have to face serious problems.
Neuroleptic drugs also have side effects. Windgassen 1992 found 50% of patients with schizophrenia who take neuroleptic drugs reported grogginess or sedation, 18% reported problems with concentration, and 16% had blurred vision. In addition many patients developed symptoms closely resembling those of Parkinson’s disease such as muscle rigidity, tremors and foot shuffling. Also it was found that more than 20% of patients who take neuroleptic drugs for over a year develop the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. These symptoms include involuntary sucking and chewing and writhing movements of the mouth or face.
Atypical antipsychotic drugs (such as clozapine) also combat positive symptoms of schizophrenia but there are claims that they also have beneficial effects on negative symptoms as well.