Drugs used to quieten disturbed patients, whether this is the result of brain damage, MANIA, DELIRIUM, agitated DEPRESSION or an acute behavioural disturbance. They relieve the ?orid PSYCHOTIC symptoms such as hallucinations and thought-disorder in SCHIZOPHRENIA and prevent relapse of this disorder when it is in remission.
Most of these drugs act by blocking DOPAMINE receptors. As a result they can give rise to the extrapyramidal effects of PARKINSONISM and may also cause HYPERPROLACTINAEMIA.
Troublesome side-effects may require control by ANTICHOLINERGIC drugs. The main antipsychotic drugs are: (i) chlorpromazine, methotrimeprazine and promazine, characterised by pronounced sedative effects and a moderate anticholinergic and extrapyramidal e?ect; (ii) pericyazine, pipothiazine and thioridazine, which have moderate sedative effects and marked anticholinergic effects, but less extrapyramidal effects than the other groups; (iii) ?uphenazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, sulpiride and tri?uoperazine, which have fewer sedative effects and fewer anticholinergic effects, but more pronounced extrapyramidal effects.... neuroleptics
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