18. The Biological Approach To Treating OCD AO1 Flashcards
What is the main way to treat OCD?
Drug therapies
What is the aim of a drug therapy?
For mental health disorders drug therapy aims to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or to increase/decrease their activity
How are serotonin and OCD linked?
Low levels of serotonin are associated it with OCD
How did drugs therapies work in regard to serotonin?
Jokes work in various ways to increase the level of serotonin in the brain
What is a SSRI?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
What is the role of an SSRI?
They prevent the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin in the brain
What does an SSRI preventing the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin in the brain do
Iincreases its levels in the signups and therefore serotonin continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron
What compensates for the issues with the serotonin system in OCD?
And SSRI increases its levels in the signups and therefore serotonin continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron
What is the typical does for fluoxetine?
20mg although it can be increased if it is not benefitting the patient
Give an example of an SSRI and the dose it is taken in
Fluoxetine 20mg
How long does it take for an SSRI to have an impact upon symptoms?
3-4 months
What are drugs often used alongside to treat OCD?
CBT
Outline the process of combining SSRI’s with CBT
Did drugs reduce a patient’s emotional symptoms, such as feeling anxious or depressed which means that patients can engage more effectively with CBT
What is an alternative to SSRI’s
Tricyclics
What is a tricyclic?
An older type of antidepressants
Give an example of a tricyclic
Clomipramine
What effects do tricyclics have?
Do you have the same affect on the serotonin system as SSRI’s but the side-effects can be more severe
Name to alternatives to SSRI’s
- Tricyclics
- SNRI’s
What has been developed in the last five years?
A different class of antidepressant drugs called serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) has been used to treat OCD
What are SNRI’s used for?
There are second line of defence for patients who don’t respond to SSRI’s
What do SNRI’s increase?
Levels of serotonin as well as noradrenaline
