antipsychotic drugs
antipsychotics
They inhibit the expression of dopamine.
Dopamine receptor agonists are a type of medication that activate dopamine receptors in the brain. They are often used to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease, restless leg syndrome, and hyperprolactinemia. By mimicking the effects of dopamine, these drugs help improve symptoms associated with these conditions.
Therapeutic drugs that block dopamine receptors are most likely to reduce symptoms of psychosis, such as delusions and hallucinations. Blocking dopamine receptors can also help manage symptoms of certain movement disorders, like Parkinson's disease. However, these drugs may also have side effects related to movement, cognition, and motivation.
Substances like norepinephrine, epinephrine, and serotonin have chemical compositions similar enough to dopamine to interact with dopamine receptor sites in the brain. These substances can bind to dopamine receptors and exert similar effects on neural signaling pathways.
Dopamine receptor antagonists (DAs)-- The older class of antipsychotic medications, also called neuroleptics. These primarily block the site on nerve cells that normally receive the brain chemical dopamine.
The effects of dopamine on the brain can be mimicked by the drug levodopa: levodopa therapy is the mainstay of PD treatment in its early stages.
Reglan is a dopamine receptor antagonist. So, if you want to use it for its anti-emetic effects, other dopamine receptor antagonists will work. These include Domperidone, Olanzapine, and haloperidol. However, if you're using reglan for its effect on lactation, domperidone is the other choice.
Anti psychotic medication is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and various other conditions. It works by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain, meaning that the effects of dopamine are lessened.
Benzodiazepines enhance the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA at its receptor in the brain, which leads to a calming and sedative effect. This interaction helps to reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and improve sleep quality.
Naltrexone primarily acts as an opioid receptor antagonist, which means it blocks the effects of opioids in the brain. While it mainly targets the mu-opioid receptors, this blockade can indirectly influence neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine, as it reduces the rewarding effects of substances that increase dopamine levels. However, Naltrexone does not directly alter the levels of norepinephrine, GABA, or serotonin, although its impact on opioid receptors may lead to secondary effects on these neurotransmitter systems. Overall, its primary mechanism is through opioid receptor modulation rather than direct alteration of these neurotransmitter levels.
The theory behind why individuals develop 'psychotic' symptoms is based upon the idea that there are elevated levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a molecule that passes messages between neurons. For example, when a nerve impulse arrives at a dopaminergic neuron (also known as a pre-synaptic neuron), dopamine is released from the cell and diffuses through a space between two neurons, called the synaptic cleft. Dopamine then binds to specific dopamine receptors on a different neuron (post-synaptic neuron) producing a specific signal, impulse or effect. Dopamine is then released from its receptors and 're-absorbed' into the pre-synaptic neuron, or degraded by enzymes in the synaptic cleft. The neuroleptics block dopamine receptors thereby inhibiting the ability of dopamine to attach to these receptors and generate signals. However, unlike the typical neuroleptics, the atypicals merely transiently block the receptors therefore allowing some dopamine to bind to the receptors and generate signals. The atypical neuroleptics are also able to block serotonin receptors located on dopaminergic neurons. When serotonin binds to these receptors it inhibits dopamine release. However as these receptors are blocked by atypical neuroleptics, the dopamine secretion is increased. The transient rather than permanent blocking of dopamine receptors and the blocking of serotonin receptors and subsequent increases in dopamine, it is for these reasons that the atypicals are thought to produce fewer adverse effects than the typical neuroleptics. However, the atypical drugs differ in their 'stickyess' when binding to dopamine receptors and also in the ratio of which dopamine ad serotonin receptors are affected. This may result in some atypicals producing higher levels of specific adverse effects than others. The atypicals may also bind to other receptor types, producing further adverse effects (see side effects of atypicals section).