AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which means that it passes messages around your brain. Most antipsychotic drugs are known to block some of the dopamine receptors in the brain. This reduces the flow of these messages, which can help to reduce your psychotic symptoms.

Detailed explanation-2: -Antipsychotic drugs block dopamine activity and are used to manage the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Detailed explanation-3: -Antipsychotics reduce or increase the effect of neurotransmitters in the brain to regulate levels. Neurotransmitters help transfer information throughout the brain. The neurotransmitters affected include dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin.

Detailed explanation-4: -Extrapyramidal motor symptoms (e.g., acute dystonia and parkinsonian symptoms such as bradykinesia and tremor) and excess prolactin release are major adverse side effects of APDs mediated by blockade of D2R signaling in the nigrostriatal dopamine system and the tuberoinfundibular pathway, respectively1–6.

Detailed explanation-5: -All antipsychotics are generally effective, although differences exist in terms of efficacy but also in side effect profile. So far, all antipsychotics block the dopamine-2 (D2) receptor in the brain, including recently available antipsychotics such as lurasidone, cariprazine and brexpiprazole.