D2 blockade means preventing dopamine from activating D2 receptors in the usual way. This is the main established antipsychotic mechanism of first-generation drugs. It can reduce psychotic symptoms but also affects dopamine functions outside the…Continue Reading
Potency describes the amount of a drug needed to produce a particular effect. High-potency antipsychotics generally require fewer milligrams than low-potency agents for comparable antipsychotic effects. The terms do not mean that a high-potency medicine…Continue Reading
First-generation antipsychotics can reduce hallucinations, delusions and disorganised thinking. Their effectiveness helped establish that psychosis could be treated pharmacologically. They remain useful options for some people, including those with a good previous response or a…Continue Reading
Important adverse effects include drug-induced parkinsonism, acute dystonia, akathisia and the risk of tardive dyskinesia with ongoing exposure. Prolactin elevation can cause sexual or reproductive effects. Sedation, dry mouth, constipation and dizziness vary according to…Continue Reading
Examples include risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine and lurasidone. Some classifications also include D2 partial agonists within the second generation, while others describe them separately. The grouping is therefore useful historically but less precise than naming…Continue Reading