ExplanationDefinition
Risperdal® is a so-called “atypical neuroleptic”, i.e. a fairly modern drug for psychoses. In addition, it is also used in the treatment of mania. Risperdal® is one of the few drugs which can also be used as a so-called “depot”. With such a depot medication the daily tablet intake is omitted and the patient receives an injection instead at a certain interval (2-4 weeks).
Trade names
Risperdal®
Chemical name
Benzisoxatol (piperidine)
Active ingredient
Risperidone
Fields of application
Schizophrenia – both in the acute, as well as in the continuing treatment Mania – both in the acute, as well as in the continuing treatment Dementia – but only with psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations or with aggressive behavior Borderline disorder – with repeated self-harming or extrinsically dangerous behavior Intelligence reduction – with impulse breakthroughs and chronic aggressiveness The main effect of Risperdal® is that it dampens the excess supply of the transmitter substance “dopamine“. This oversupply is nowadays considered the main cause of psychotic perception (e.g. hallucinations). Basically, the system of transmitting messages between nerve cells works on a “key-lock principle”.
A nerve cell releases a messenger substance (e.g. dopamine). This messenger substance fits like a key to various other nerve cells. The messenger substance “lies down” in this lock (the so-called dopamine receptor) of the nerve cell and unlocks it.
Biologically, this process of unlocking means that the unlocked nerve cell becomes active (it fires an impulse). Once the dopamine has fulfilled its task, it returns to its original cell, like a car to the garage. It is now easy to imagine that an oversupply of messenger substance can result in a constant “unlocking” and the unlocked nerve cell constantly fires impulses. If this happens in all important areas of the brain, a pathological perception will occur. Risperidone (Risperdal®) now blocks (like all other antipsychotic neuroleptics) the dopamine receptors to such an extent that an excess supply of dopamine no longer leads to such a pathological change.
