Brain Chemistry Alteration Due to Antypsychotic Drug Treatment

Brain Chemistry Alteration Due to Antypsychotic Drug Treatment

Several drugs alter brain chemistry, including prescription drugs. For example, depression or Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by low levels of serotonin. Due to a combination of genetic, environmental and biological causes brains of individuals suffering from depression produce less serotonin. The condition may be treated by CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and antidepressants. Antidepresssants include SSRIs or selective seretonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine, brand name Prozac. Interestingly, psychological studies have shown that MDD or depression has a better prognosis when therapy is used in combination with medication, as opposed to medication alone.

Estimates are use to calculate excessively large quantities, such as brain cells or stars in all the galaxies. Image: Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Along similar lines, antypsychotic medication also alters brain chemistry to reduce psychotic symptomps. Disorders with psychotic features include but are not limited to schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorders, schizoaffective disorder, affective psychosis, delusional disorder and bipolar disorders. Psychothic features in turn include delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs held against all evidence to the contrary, whereas hallucinations correspond to perception in the absence of any actual stimuli. Antipsychotic drugs such as Seroquel, Risperidone and Latuda are typically prescribed to circumvent the symptomatology of some of the mental illnesses mentioned above.