Table of Contents

Second-Generation (Atypical) Antipsychotics

Second-Generation (Atypical) Antipsychotics

Primer

Second-Generation (Atypical) Antipsychotics are a class of antipsychotic medications released in the early late 1990s to 2000s.

Mechanism

Atypical antipsychotics block the action of dopamine (DA) in D2 receptors, and also block serotonin 5-HT2 receptors.

Adverse Events

See main article: Metabolic Syndrome

Atypical antipsychotics are associated with metabolic syndrome, and is the greatest with use of olanzapine. Risperidone and quetiapine have intermediate effects, while aripiprazole, asenapine lurasidone, and ziprasidone have lower effects (but are not weight-neutral).^[1]

Extrapyramidal Symptoms

See main article: Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS)

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome

See main article: Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)

¹⁾ Katzman, M. A., Bleau, P., Blier, P., Chokka, P., Kjernisted, K., & Van Ameringen, M. (2014). Canadian clinical practice guidelines for the management of anxiety, posttraumatic stress and obsessive-compulsive disorders. BMC psychiatry, 14(1), 1-83.