Abstract
The dopamine hypothesis for the mode of action of antipsychotic drugs has been with us for some 30 years and has, by and large, withstood the test of time. It simply states that antipsychotic drugs owe their therapeutic effects to an ability to block central dopamine receptors. This has given us a working and testable explanation for the effects of these drugs and it has prompted the synthesis of new agents. While so-called antipsychotic drugs (otherwise known as neuroleptics or major tranquillisers) are known to be effective in schizophrenia and related psychoses, mania, and the agitation associated with severe depressive illness or organic disorder, this paper is only concerned with the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia.
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