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Example research essay topic: New Research Indicates That Drug Therapy Is More - 1,170 words

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... even-fifties the most commonly used method of treatment for schizophrenia patients was the prescription of anti-psychotic drugs known as phenothiazines, and derivatives such as; chlorpromazine and butyrophenones (Davison & Neale, 1998). All of these were highly effective in treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia but not as effective for treating the negative symptoms. As well, these drugs were well known for the side effects that they produced such as dizziness, muscle stiffness, blurred vision, restlessness and sexual dysfunction. More serious side effects produced included extra pyramidal side effects, which resulted from dysfunctions of the nerve tract, descending from the brain to the spinal neurons. The symptoms resembled those of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's Disease (Davison & Neal, 1998; Advokat et al. , 1999).

For this reason there was a high non-compliance rate, with half of all patients quitting after the first year and three-quarters ceasing the medications after two years (Davison & Neale, 1998). Additionally, thirty percent of schizophrenia patients who were prescribed the phenothiazine did not respond favorably to the drugs (Davison & Neale, 1998, Advokat et al. , 1999). Neither the positive or negative symptoms of the patients were alleviated after taking the drugs. Recent research has lead to the discovery of other anti-psychotic drugs that produced greater success rates for patients who did not previously respond to typical medications and produced fewer side effects. In 1989, clozapine was reintroduced as a treatment for schizophrenia because compared to traditional drugs used, clozapine produced few extra pyramidal side effects and reduced both positive and negative symptoms (Advokat et al. , 1999; Robinson et al. , 1999). The most important use of clozapine is that of one-third of patients who do not respond to traditional antipsychotic drug therapies, clozapine is very effective (Robinson et al. , 1999).

Research has shown that 30. 5 % of patients who normally do not respond to traditional drugs, meet the maximum criteria for improvement when given clozapine (Advokat et al. , 1999). As well, the use of clozapine has resulted in the alleviation of symptoms in schizophrenia patients within the first month of administration, while maximum improvement was noted in the first five months of administration (Advokat et al. , 1999). There have been reports of patients whom only responded favorably to the clozapine therapy for the first 2 to 3 months, after which, improvement begins to decline. These patients often show more improvements in the negative symptoms as compared to the positive symptoms, leading to the hypothesis that for long term improvement to occur, the positive symptoms must be reduced (Advokat et al. , 1999). It has been concluded that the use of clozapine drug treatment is a highly effective treatment regime for a proportion of patients who do not respond at all to traditional antipsychotics and whose negative symptoms are not reduce after traditional treatment (Advokat et al. , 1999; Robinson et al. , 1999). Other antipsychotic drugs used to help alleviate the negative symptoms of schizophrenia are amisulpride and risperidone (Danion et al. , 1999; Caracci, 1999).

Risperidone has been prescribed for many years to patients who do not respond to phenothiazine treatments because it produces fewer motor symptoms and alleviates the negative symptoms of schizophrenia better than traditional drugs (Davison & Neal, 1998; Caracci, 1999). One side effect of women using risperidone, is that the elevated prolactin levels produced as a result of usage could result in osteoporosis, and animal studies have shown a link with mammary tumors (Caracci, 1999). However, in men the prolactin level produce by using risperidone also increased, but there are few harmful effects noted as a result (Caracci, 1999). The use of an amisulpride drug therapy is highly effective in alleviating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia because it is highly selective for dopamine receptors. When administered in high doses the amisulpride exhibits a dopamine blocking reaction, while at lower doses the amisulpride helps dopamine transmission through blocked presynaptic dopamine auto receptors (Danion et al. , 1999).

Research has shown that at both high and low doses amisulpride is highly effective in reducing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Low doses of amisulpride have also resulted in protection against intensification of positive symptoms, and low occurrences of extra pyramidal side effects (Danion et al. , 1999). Therefore, it can be concluded that both risperidone and amisulpride are effective means of treating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, while producing minimal side effects. Another of the most widely prescribed antipsychotic drugs for treating schizophrenia is haloperidol. Haloperidol works best when doses do not exceed levels that produce blood plasma responses above 12 ng / m L because once plasma levels exceed this, negative side effects often result (Yasui et al. , 1999). However, haloperidol is still considered one of the most effective antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia, due to its ability to reduce both the positive and negative symptoms.

Most patients are receptive to dosages below the levels which result in harmful blood plasma levels, therefore, haloperidol is an effective means for treating schizophrenic patients. As shown above, the use of drug therapy is the most effective means of treating schizophrenia. It is the primary treatment regime used, before any types of behavioural or family therapies are implemented. Results of recent research have shown that the newer drugs developed for the treatments of both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia are highly effective. Hopefully, this will result in a higher compliance rate on the side of the patient, thus, helping the patients to re-integrate back into society. However, as of yet the rates of full re-integration into society are low.

With further research, improvements on existing drugs and the development of newer ones will further the treatment success rates of many schizophrenic patients. REFERENCES: Advokat, C. D. , L. J. Bergman, and J. E Company Jr. 1999.

Clinical outcome to clozapine treatment in chronic psychiatric inpatients. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiatry, 23: 1 - 14. Caracci, G. 1999.

Prolactin levels in premenopausal women treated with risperidone compared with those of women treated with typical neuroleptic's. J. Clin. Psychopharmacol, 2: 194 - 196. Danion, J. M, W.

Rein, O. Fleurot and Amisulpride Study Group. 1999. Improvement of schizophrenia patients with primary negative symptoms treated with amisulpride. Am J. Psychiatry, 156: 610 - 616.

Davison G. C. and J. M. Neale. 1999. Abnormal Psychology.

USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Robinson, D. G. , M. G. Worker, J. M.

Air, S. Geisler, A. Korean, B. Sheitman, M. Chaos, D. Mayerhoff, R.

Bilder, R. Goldman, and J. A. Lieberman. 1999. Predictors of treatment response from a first episode of schizophrenia or schizo affective disorder. Am J Psychiatry, 156: 544 - 549.

Yasui, N. , T. Kondo, K. Otani, H. Furukori, K. Mihara, A.

Suzuki, S. Kaneko and Y. Inoue. 1999. Effects of itraconazole on the steady state plasma concentrations of haloperidol e and its reduced metabolite in schizophrenic patients: in vivo evidence of the involvement of CYP 3 A 4 for haloperidol metabolism.

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 19: 149 - 154.


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Research essay sample on New Research Indicates That Drug Therapy Is More

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