Psychopharmacology Glossary

Additional medication used alongside primary psychiatric treatment to enhance effectiveness.

Medication that activates receptors to produce a biological response.

Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, a standardized rating scale used to monitor for tardive dyskinesia in patients taki...

A movement disorder characterized by subjective restlessness and compulsive need to move, often caused by antipsychotic...

Complete or near-complete loss of voluntary movement, often presenting as severe motor slowing in psychiatric patients.

Indirect drug action where compounds bind to sites other than the primary receptor binding site to alter receptor functi...

The inability to experience pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyable, a core symptom of depression.

Describes effects or agents that block acetylcholine receptors, often causing dry mouth, constipation, and cognitive imp...

Cumulative effect of multiple medications with anticholinergic properties, increasing risk of cognitive impairment and o...

Syndrome resulting from excessive blockade of acetylcholine receptors, characterized by 'hot as a hare, blind as a bat,...

Type of anticholinergic drug that specifically blocks muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Motor disorder characterized by tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia caused by dopamine receptor blockade from antipsychot...

Second-generation antipsychotic medications with reduced risk of movement disorders compared to older agents.

The addition of a second medication to enhance the effectiveness of a primary psychiatric medication that has shown part...

A class of psychoactive drugs primarily used for anxiety, sleep disorders, and seizures, known for their potential for d...

Anticholinergic medication used to treat extrapyramidal side effects caused by antipsychotic drugs, particularly acute d...

The proportion of an administered drug that reaches systemic circulation and is available for therapeutic action.

The FDA's strongest warning for prescription medications, highlighting serious or life-threatening risks.

Return of depressive symptoms during ongoing antidepressant treatment, indicating incomplete response or treatment resis...

Return of psychiatric symptoms despite ongoing medication treatment, indicating need for adjustment.

Clinical Global Impression Scale for Schizophrenia, a rating instrument used to assess overall illness severity and trea...

Medication that blocks acetylcholine breakdown, used in dementia treatment and to counteract anticholinergic effects.

Mandatory laboratory surveillance program required for patients taking clozapine to detect potentially fatal blood disor...

Medication designed to improve cognitive functions such as memory, attention, or executive function.