biological approach to treating OCD

Question 1

explain drug therapy?

Answer 1

treatment involving drugs to decrease/increase levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or their activity

Question 2

key words associated with this approach

Answer 2

• Presynaptic nerve: where serotonin is produced
• postsynaptic nerve: nerve that absorbs serantonin-serotonin
• synapse: gap between post/pre synaptic
• SSRI:blocking re-absorption of serotonin
• receptor sites- found on postsynaptic nerve

Question 3

explain the role of SSRI’s

Answer 3

• used because people with OCD usually have low levels of Serotonin
• work on serotonin system in brain
• prevent the re-absorption of serotonin by the presynaptic nerve
• they increase levels of serotonin in the synapse and continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron

Question 4

explain the journey of serotonin in the body

Answer 4

1. serotonin is released by Cert gene in the brain
2. released by presynaptic neuron
3. travels across synapse
4. signal chemically passed from pre to postsynaptic through synaptic transmission, conveys signals from pre to post
5. reabsorbed by the presynaptic nerve to be broken down and reused

Question 5

what can be a name for medical SSRI?

Answer 5

-fluoxetine takes 3-4 months to work

Question 6

explain combining SSRI’s with other treatments

Answer 6

• drugs sometimes used alongside CBT

- reducing emotional symptoms eg. depression allowing them to engage more with CBT

Question 7

explain the alternatives + example to SSRI’s

Answer 7

• when SSRI’s are not effective dose can be increased or combined with other drugs
• patients respond differently to different drugs
  tricyclics:
• same effect as serotonin as SSRI’s
• but has more severe side effects, kept for patients who don’t respond to SSRI’s

Question 8

evaluate how drug therapy is effective at tackling OCD symptoms

Answer 8

STRENGTH

• research revised studies comparing SSRI’s to placebo’s
• 17 studies showed better results in SSRI’s than placebo’s
• best when SSRI’s are used w/ CBT
• symptoms significantly decline by 70% for patients taking SSRI’s

Question 9

evaluate how drugs are cost effective and non-disruptive

Answer 9

STRENGTH

• cheap compared to psychological treatments (CBT)
• also patients don’t have to come in and take time from their day for psychological treatments

Question 10

evaluate how drugs have side effects as an evaluation of drug therapy

Answer 10

WEAKNESS

• although helpful there are a minority that will get no benefit e.g.blurred vision
• for tricyclists more than 1/10 have erection problems
• more than 100 become aggressive and disruption to blood pressure
• factors stop people from taking medication

Question 11

name 3 side effects of tricyclists

Answer 11

• blurred vision
• erection problems 1/10
• disruption of blood pressure