
Antipsychotic drugs
Classification:
• Conventional antipsychotics
• Atypical antipsychotics
Conventional antipsychotics
Atypical antipsychotics
Cause extrapyramidal symptoms
Not Cause extrapyramidal symptoms
relieve positive symptoms more
effectively than negative symptoms
relieve both positive symptoms and negative
symptoms
block receptors for dopamine
stronger blockade of receptors for serotonin
moderate blockade of receptors for dopamine
Conventional Antipsychotic Agents
MOA:
suppress symptoms of psychosis by blocking dopamine (D2) receptors in the mesolimbic and
mesocortical areas of the brain regions
Absorption and metabolism:
Absorbed orally
Not affected by food
Pass to brain
Bind to plasma proteins
Metabolized by CYP450
Give by deep gluteal IM injection
Produce some tolerance
Little physical dependence
Therapeutic uses:
1. Schizophrenia
2. Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)
3. Tourette's syndrome
4. Prevention of emesis that caused by cancer chemotherapy – gastroenteritis – uremia
5. Dementia
6. Organic mental syndromes
7. Psychiatric syndromes
8. Delusional disorders
9. Schizoaffective disorder
10. Huntington chorea
Side effects:
1- Extrapyramidal symptoms (ES): Acute dystonia + Parkinsonism + Akathisia + Tardive
dyskinesia
2- Neuroleptic Malignant syndrome
3- Anticholinergic effects

4- Orthostatic hypotension
5- Sedation
6- Endocrine effects
7- Seizures
8- Sexual dysfunction
9- Dermatologic effects
10- Agranulocytosis