Abstract

DOPAMINE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA IT’S TREATMENT WITH NEWER ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTICS: AN OVERVIEW

Amol S. Jagdale* and Ganesh K. Dhikale

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality. Although schizophrenia is not as common as other mental disorders, the symptoms can be very disabling. Dopamine is the main catecholamine in the CNS; and is involved in a variety of physiological functions, including sexual behavior, cognition, motor coordination, cardiovascular control, reward and hormonal regulation. Abnormalities in dopaminergic neurotransmission have been implicated in Parkinson‘s disease, schizophrenia, attention-deficit disorder and depression. Modern treatment for schizophrenia relies primarily on somatic drug therapy Psychotic illness includes various disorders but the term antipsychotic drugs also known as neuroleptics drugs, antischezophrenic drugs. The development of atypical antipsychotics is an important milestone in the history of psychiatry, because it brought effective treatment option with a reduced risk for adverse events. Four dopamine pathways in the brain play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia as well as the therapeutic effects and side effects of antipsychotic agents. Activity in each of them has a unique set of physical, cognitive and psychological effects.

Keywords: Schizophrenia, Dopamine, antipsychotics.