Antipsychotic

The term antipsychotic is applied to a group of drugs used to treat psychosis. Common conditions with which antipsychotics might be used include schizophrenia, mania and delusional disorder, although antipsychotics might be used to counter psychosis associated with a wide range of other diagnoses. Antipsychotics also have some effects as mood stabilizers, leading to their occasional use in treating mood disorder (particularly bipolar disorder) even when no signs of psychosis are present. Some antipsychotics (haloperidol, pimozide) are used to treat Tourette's Syndrome.

Related Topics:
Drug - Psychosis - Schizophrenia - Mania - Delusional disorder - Mood stabilizer - Mood disorder - Bipolar disorder - Haloperidol - Pimozide - Tourette's Syndrome

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These drugs are also referred to as neuroleptic drugs, or simply neuroleptics.

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There are currently two main types of antipsychotics in use, the typical antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics. A new class of antipsychotic drugs has recently been discovered, known as partial dopamine agonists. Clinical development has progressed rapidly on partial dopamine agonists, and one drug in this class (aripiprazole) has already been approved by the FDA. Although the underlying mechanism of this new class is different from all previous typical and atypical antipsychotics, partial dopamine agonists are often categorized as atypicals.

Related Topics:
Typical antipsychotic - Atypical antipsychotic - Partial dopamine agonist - Aripiprazole - FDA

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Typical antipsychotics are sometimes referred to as major tranquilizers because some of them can tranquilise and sedate when taken in large doses. This term is increasingly disused because many antipsychotics do not have strong sedating properties and the terminology implies a connection with benzodiazepines whereas none exists.

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