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| Introduction > History of Neuroleptics/Antipsychotics |
History of Neuroleptics/Antipsychotics
Neuroleptic/anti-psychotic drugs originate from the chemical phenothiazene,
which was used as synthetic dye in 1883. In 1934 Phenothiazene was used
by the veterinary practice as an insecticide and extended for killing
swine parasites; phenothiazene affects the brains Acetlycholinergic
System and results in lethal increases of acetlycholine in the
periphery and central nervous system of the insect.
Mad in America (www.madinamerica.com)
provides a longer history of neuroleptics.
In
France, Delay and Deniker (1952), discovered that Largactil helped to
ameliorate hallucinations and delusions. Years later, pharmaceutical
companies discovered that Largactil reduced dopamine production in the
brain. The conclusion drawn from these two observations was the belief
that schizophrenia was a brain disease, which resulted from an excess
of dopamine production in the brain.
In reality this theory has
no confirmed basis since there is no test to prove that psychosis is
the result of the excess of dopamine. However through out the world
when patients symptomology fit into the Schneider (1957) criteria of
First Rank Symptoms, neuroleptics/anti-psychotics are prescribed for the diagnosis of
'schizophrenia'. The biological hypothesis or the Medical Model is the
primary and dominant choice of 'treatment' (italics used as treatment
is applicable only to specific illnesses which can be proved). Many mental health
practitioners believe unless 'schizophrenia disease' is 'treated' early
with neuroleptics the 'disease' will progress, even though there is no
valid proven test for the 'disease'.
This attitude dominates psychiatry resulting in many practitioners sincerely believing they are failing
their patients if they withheld neuroleptic 'treatment'. Many practitioners are unaware that psychosis can be ameliorated, with patients being treated successfully without neuroleptics/anti-psychotics (Irwin 2004)
The UK national NICE Guidelines for Schizophrenia compounds
the situation in their recommendation of neuroleptics/antipsychotics for
'schizophrenia'. (National Institute for
Clinical Excellence 2002) and further down the line local Care/Foundation Trust Guidelines
follow suit; psychiatrists may be under pressure to prescribe for fear
of career repercussions and loss of professional status.
Typical and atypical neuroleptics
In
the 1950’s, Stelazine, Haloperidol as well as Largactil were all
classified major tranquillizers used to ‘treat’ acute anxiety and positive and negative
symptomology of 'schizophrenia'. Positive symptoms include the phenomena of hallucinations,
delusions and thought disorder. Negative symptoms include blunting of
affect, poverty of speech, and lack of drive, pleasure and poor
attention. The major tranquilliser terminology eventually changed to anti-psychotics (essentially neuroleptics as they grab hold of the nerve endings in the brain)as newer drugs were developed. The older neuroleptics are classified as "typical",
with the newer ones being classified as "atypical". The typical drugs
are relatively inexpensive and cause severe side effects in comparison
with the more expensive atypical drugs, which are reputed to cause
fewer side effects.
‘As we become better at detecting the core symptoms of schizophrenia patients have worsening mortality ratios’
Sara et al (2007)
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