Antipsychotics and Low Motivation in People with Schizophrenia

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Overview:

Antipsychotic drugs are thought to produce secondary negative symptoms, which can also exacerbate primary negative symptoms. In the present study we examined whether motivational deficits in particular were related to antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia in a dose-dependent fashion.

Conclusion:

Antipsychotic dose was not related to level of amotivation for any of the medications examined. Moreover, severity of sedation was not significantly related to degree of amotivation. One hundred and one individuals were identified as antipsychotic-free at baseline, and after 6 months of antipsychotic treatment no change in motivation was found.

Chronic treatment with antipsychotics does not necessarily impede or enhance goal-directed motivation in patients with schizophrenia. It is possible that the negative impact of antipsychotics in this regard is overstated; conversely, the present results also indicate that we must look beyond antipsychotics in our efforts to improve motivation.

SOURCE:

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Interesting, although there is research out there that contradicts this.

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I lowered my Risperdal to sub therapeutic doses - I noticed that my motivation has not improved, it may have gotten a bit worse

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I don’t think my poor motivation was initially caused by the risperdal as I mentioned poor motivation being a long term issue weeks after starting on the depot. Whether it has made it even worse is debatable but it certainly hasn’t resulted in a noticeable improvement.

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Do you know where I can read this research or remember what it said?

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What is published above is the only thing that is available right now - they typically provide a summary of the articles that are coming out in research publications before they are actually published.

The research journal will be published later in the month or two - but it may not be available to people without paying. If it becomes available I will post a link to it.

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surely that depends of the type of anti psychotic as theyre all different?

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If that’s the case then why do we feel hyper and motivated and talkative for a span of time afree we go off medication and before actively psychotic. I can understand that there are primary negative syptoms but I think there are also disabling side effects for the anti psychotic drugs.

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I think the typical anti-psychotics do reduce motivation. I was totally demoralized when I was on Haldol, and that affected my motivation. Geodon doesn’t hurt my motivation. It weakens me physically, but it leaves my head in an okay place. Zyprexa gave me a mild depression. Life was grey when I was on it. Seroquel I can’t really tell I am taking. I think that if you tested the typical anti-psychotics you would find a marked decrease in motivation.