Tutor's Notes on Schizophrenia

Authors: Dr. A George, Dr E Lyon, Dr Y Dadabhai, Dr. V Sharma, Dr L Kelly, Dr R Horton, Dr P Chazot, Ms
K Huckbody
Contact: Jeff Claudius, British Pharmacological Society, 16 Angel Gate, City Road, London, EC1V 2SG.
UK. Tel: 44-(0)20-7239-0172. Fax: 44-(0)20-7417-0114. E-mail: cal@bps.ac.uk Internet site:
http://www.pharmaCALogy.com

Hardware and Installation

The hardware requirements and installation instructions for the program are available separately. The
purpose of this sheet is to make you aware of the program content and the ways in which the program
can be used to help you achieve particular teaching objectives.

Objectives
When a student has finished this program, he/she should understand:
 the postulated causes and bases of schizophrenia;
 an outline of the main diagnostic features of the disorder;
 an appreciation of the social problems of schizophrenics and their families;
 the principles of the treatment of schizophrenia including a thorough knowledge of the drug
treatments and their side-effects;

Program description
The package is divided into four sections:

1. Introduction to Schizophrenia
2. Mode of Action of Anti-Schizophrenia Drugs
3. Treatment Rationale for Schizophrenia
4. Self-assessment (using Case Studies)

The Introduction contains information on the nature of schizophrenia, its epidemiology, aetiology and
biochemistry. It discusses dopamine theory in detail and finishes with a series of quick questions. The Mode
of action section discusses anti-schizophrenia drugs in general with details of mechanism of action and sites
of action. It then looks at classification of neuroleptics with details of many of the available drugs,
pharmacokinetic considerations and a series of quick questions for self-assessment. The Treatment
Rationale section contains historical methods and psychosocial treatment, drug treatment including
selection, dosage and duration of treatment, details of side effects and drug interactions of the anti-
psychotics. The four Case Studies at the end of the program are based on real patients whose identity has
been changed and who gave their permission for their case to be used. They are not necessarily typical of
schizophrenic patients in general but have been chosen because they illustrate particular problems in
schizophrenia and its treatment. The Quiz section is designed to indicate how well you are assimilating the
material and also knowledge. There is no overall assessment of student performance. The quiz chooses
multi-choice questions at random from a question bank so the same questions do not appear every time.
There are reference sections showing the anatomy of the brain and a glossary of terms, and a help section,
are available from pull-down menus.

Method of Program Use

To obtain maximum benefit from computer based learning material it is essential the material is incorporated
into the module/course and integrated with other teaching/learning material. Students do not gain maximum
benefit if simply pointed at a piece of software and told to "use it to help you learn". This point cannot be
over-emphasised and teachers who do not integrate CAL material into courses and who do not set specific
assessed tasks associated with the use of CAL material will generally be disappointed with the effectiveness
of CAL and the students' response to it.
A Teaching and Learning Resource Pack (TLRP number 20) can be obtained from the BPS offices to be
used in conjunction with this program. This TLRP is a workbook consisting of a series of exercises for
students that utilize the CAL program with model answers for staff.

British Pharmacological Society, May 2004