Article contents
Olanzapine: preclinical pharmacology and recent findings
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 August 2018
Abstract
Olanzapine possesses a broad pharmacological profile, interacting with a range of different neurotransmitter receptors. Although its affinity for muscarinic receptors is relatively greater than for dopamine receptors, on schedule-controlled behaviour olanzapine displays a profile resembling a dopamine antagonist. Likewise, in a test of cognitive function, olanzapine does not produce anticholinergic-like deficits. In drug discrimination assays, olanzapine substitutes for clozapine in clozapine-trained animals and clozapine generalises to olanzapine in olanzapine-trained animals. Olanzapine also reverses the behavioural deficits produced by inhibiting N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glutamatergic transmission. This profile suggests that olanzapine will be effective against both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia while producing minimal extrapyramidal side-effects.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 174 , Issue S37: Focus on schizophrenia , February 1999 , pp. 41 - 44
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1999
References
- 9
- Cited by
eLetters
No eLetters have been published for this article.