Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T16:58:52.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

26 - Biological treatments for psychotic disorders

from Section 5 - Treatments in Psychiatry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2009

By
Ragy R. Girgis ,
Scott A. Schobel  and
Jeffrey A. Lieberman
Edited by
Robin M. Murray ,
Kenneth S. Kendler ,
Peter McGuffin ,
Simon Wessely  and
David J. Castle
Robin M. Murray
Affiliation:
King's College London
Kenneth S. Kendler
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Peter McGuffin
Affiliation:
University of Wales College of Medicine
Simon Wessely
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
David J. Castle
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
Get access

Summary

This chapter reviews the current biological treatments of psychosis, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, bipolar disorder and psychotic depression. Antipsychotic medications are an important part of the biological treatment of psychosis. The chapter presents the history and drug development, mechanism of action and pharmacology of these agents. It deals with some of the side effects associated with antipsychotic medications. Mood stabilisers represent a key part of the biological treatments of psychosis. This chapter reviews use of elements such as lithium, valproate, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine and topiramate in the treatment of psychosis. It also discusses the implementation of the biological treatments of psychosis. This discussion is divided by the phases of treatment for primary psychosis and affective psychosis. Goals of treatment in the acute phase of psychosis include harm prevention, symptom improvement and rapid return to baseline levels of functioning.

Keywords

Alzheimer's diseasecognitive symptomsdementiamental health problemspsychiatric disorderspsychological symptomsneurosisold age
Type
Chapter
Information
Essential Psychiatry , pp. 586 - 621
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×