Lexic.us

Definition of Antipsychotic

1. Noun. Tranquilizer used to treat psychotic conditions when a calming effect is desired.

Definition of Antipsychotic

1. Adjective. (pharmacology) Preventing or counteracting psychosis. ¹

2. Noun. (pharmacology) Any of a group of drugs used to treat psychosis. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Antipsychotic

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Antipsychotic

1. A drug that is effective in the treatment of psychosis. Antipsychotic drugs (also called neuroleptic drugs and major tranquillisers) are a chemically diverse (including phenothiazines, thioxanthenes, butyrophenones, dibenzoxazepines, dibenzodiazepines and diphenylbutylpiperidines) but pharmacologically similar class of drugs used to treat schizophrenic, paranoid, schizoaffective and other psychotic disorders, acute delirium and dementia and manic episodes (during induction of lithium therapy), to control the movement disorders associated with Huntington disease, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome and ballismus and to treat intractable hiccups and severe nausea and vomiting. Antipsychotic agents bind to dopamine, histamine, muscarinic cholinergic, a adrenergic and serotonin receptors. Blockade of dopaminergic transmission in various areas is thought to be responsible for their major effects: antipsychotic action by blockade in the mesolimbic and mesocortical areas, extrapyramidal side effects (dystonia, akathisia, parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia) by blockade in the basal ganglia and antiemetic effects by blockade in the chemoreceptor trigger zone of the medulla. Sedation and autonomic side effects (orthostatic hypotension, blurred vision, dry mouth, nasal congestion and constipation) are caused by blockade of histamine, cholinergic and adrenergic receptors. (13 Nov 1997)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Antipsychotic

Literary usage of Antipsychotic

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Neuroscience of Mental Health: A Report on Neuroscience Research edited by Stephen H. Koslow (1997)
"Cortical Interneurons and the Action of antipsychotic Drugs During the past decade, there has been a convergence of clinical and basic research focusing on ..."

2. Value of Psychiatric Treatment: Its Efficacy in Severe Mental Disorders edited by Samuel J. Keith (1996)
"Pharmacologie Treatment Overall Efficacy of antipsychotic Neuroleptic Drugs A review by Cole and Davis (1969) of 130 double-blind placebo-controlled studies ..."

3. Schizophrenia, 1993: A Special Report edited by David Shore, Samuel J. Keith (1996)
"antipsychotic drug dosage did not appear to be related to the development of the disorder, but very high dosages were negatively associated with covert TD. ..."

4. Analysis of Longitudinal and Cluster-Correlated Data by Nan M. Laird (2004)
"antipsychotic medication is effective in reducing psychotic behavior in many individuals, but can pose significant adverse side effects. ..."

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