Abnormality - Therapies Flashcards
List the two biological treatments for abnormality
Drug therapy
ECT
What is the rationale for drug treatment?
A chemical imbalance is at the root of abnormal behaviour
What is the aim of drug treatment?
To restore the chemical imbalance
List the 3 types of drugs used to treat abnormal behaviour
Antidepressants
Antipsychotics
Anxiolytics
What is the rationale for antidepressants?
Decreased availability of serotonin in the brain leads to depression
What is the aim of antidepressants?
To increase the availability of serotonin in the brain
Name one type of antidepressant
Tricyclics
How to tricyclics work?
By blocking the reuptake of noradrenalin and serotonin into the presynaptic membrane so more is available.
What is the rationale for antipsychotics?
Too much dopamine activity leads to schizophrenia
How to antipsychotics work?
By blocking the receptors in the synapse that absorb dopamine
Name an antipsychotic drug and state how it works
Chlorpromazine
Acts by blocking dopamine receptors
Explain the treatment ECT
Passing a small electric current through the brain causing the equivalent of a seizure (in epilepsy) with violent electrical discharges in the brain and behavioural convulsions.
How is it thought that ECT works?
It is likely that the electrical discharge will have an effect on the activity of a number of brain neurotransmitters
How effective is Chlorpromazine in treating schizophrenia? (positive)
Reduces symptoms such as hallucinations and dellusions, loss of insight and contact with reality
What percentage of people are drugs for schizophrenia effective for?
50-60%
Give a statistic regardng the effectivness of supressing symptoms with drugs for schizophrenia
Symptoms return in 80% of those coming off drugs
Give a statistic regarding the effectivness of drugs in treating depression
Only 60-70% respond and 30% to the placebo effect
What do drugs target and what don’t they change?
They target biological changes associated with depression and do not change life events
Give a side effect of Chlorpromazine
Movement disorders resembling Parkinson’s disease
Give a side effect of Clozapine
Lowers numbers of white blood cells