Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

608 CHAPTER 14 TherapiesThe First Antipsychotic Drug More than 2,000years ago, ancient Hindu medical texts prescribedthe use of an herb derived from Rauwolfiaserpentina, or snakeroot plant, to treatepilepsy, insomnia, and other ailments. But itsprimary use was to treat oonmaad—a Sanskritterm for an abnormal mental condition thatincluded disruptions in “wisdom, perception,knowledge, character, creativity, conduct, andbehavior” (Bhatara & others, 1997). Today it isknown that the herb has a high affinity fordopamine receptors in the brain.chlorpromazine has been better known by its trade name, Thorazine, and is still usedto treat psychotic symptoms. The antipsychotic drugs are also referred to as neurolepticmedications or simply neuroleptics.How do these drugs diminish psychotic symptoms? Reserpine and chlorpromazineact differently on the brain, but both drugs reduce levels of the neurotransmittercalled dopamine. Since the development of these early drugs, morethan 30 other antipsychotic medicationsTable 14.7have been developed(see Table 14.7). These antipsychoticAntipsychotic MedicationsGeneric NameTrade Name medications also act ondopamine receptors in the brainTypicalAntipsychoticsChlorpromazineFluphenazineThorazineProlixin(Abi-Dargham, 2004; Laruelle &others, 2003; Richtand & others,Trifluoperazine Stelazine 2007).ThioridazineMellarilThe first antipsychotics effectivelyreduced the positiveThiothixeneNavanesymptomsHaloperidolHaldolAtypical Clozapine ClozarilAntipsychotics Risperidone RisperdalOlanzapineZyprexaSertindoleSerlectQuetiapineSeroquelAripiprazoleAbilifySource: Adapted from Julien (2008).of schizophrenia—hallucinations,delusions, and disordered thinking(see Chapter 13). This therapeuticeffect had a revolutionary impacton the number of people hospitalizedfor schizophrenia. Until the1950s, patients with schizophreniawere thought to be incurable.These chronic patients formed the bulk of the population in the “back wards” of psychiatrichospitals. With the introduction of the antipsychotic medications, however, thenumber of patients in mental hospitals decreased dramatically (see Figure 14.5).Figure 14.5 Change in the Number ofPatients Hospitalized for Mental Disorders,1946–1983 When the first antipsychoticdrugs came into wide use in the late1950s, the number of people hospitalizedfor mental disorders began to dropsharply.Source: Adapted from Julien (2008).Number of patients in mental hospitals(in thousands)550500450400350300250Beginning of widespread useof antipsychotic medications2001946 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980Year