Biological Explanation (Neurotransmitters) for an Illness other than Schizophrenia (Depression)

Question 1

What is depression caused by according to the biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen disorder (depression)?

Answer 1

Imbalance of neurotransmitters which affects signals

Question 2

What is a monoamine?

Answer 2

Specific type of neurotransmitter which contains an amino molecule

Question 3

What is the monoamine hypothesis?

Answer 3

Claims that low level of monoamines cause depression

Question 4

What are low levels of monoamines caused by?

Answer 4

Overactive reuptake process, so reuptake mechanism recaptures neurotransmitters before they reach the receptor sites to bind

Question 5

What depression symptoms are low levels of serotonin linked to?

Answer 5

Low mood, high anxiety, erratic brain functioning

Question 6

What does the reuptake of serotonin do?

Answer 6

Functional effect of lowering levels within synapse

Question 7

What does serotonin regulate?

Answer 7

Other monoamines e.g. dopamine (reward), noradrenaline (energy)

Question 8

What depression symptoms does low dopamine result in?

Answer 8

Lack of concentration, no longer getting enjoyment (anhedonia)

Question 9

What do low noradrenaline levels result in, according to the biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen disorder (depression)?

Answer 9

Lack of energy, changes in sleep

Question 10

What are high levels of the enzyme monoamine oxidase linked to?

Answer 10

Low levels of monoamines, as it breaks monoamines down so you have less

Question 11

What does a faulty 5HTT gene cause?

Answer 11

Less serotonin when under pressure/stress

Question 12

Why is the biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen disorder (depression) objective and empirical?

Answer 12

You can directly measure the levels of monoamines through blood samples and urine samples

Question 13

What do anti-depressants do?

Answer 13

Increase levels of monoamines which alleviates depression

Question 14

Why can we not get cause and effect in biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen disorder (depression)?

Answer 14

Most evidence for abnormal levels of chemicals being a cause of depression is correlational

Question 15

Why are neurotransmitters not a sufficient way to explain depression?

Answer 15

Level of neurotransmitters rises very quickly once an individual is on medication so if it was just neurotransmitters then symptoms would reduce quickly but they take time after drug treatment starts

Question 16

Why is it not good to rely on blood/urine samples for the biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen disorder (depression)?

Answer 16

Difficult to measure chemicals directly in the brain, so has to be measured elsewhere in the body, lowering validity of explanation

Question 17

Why does treatment aetiology conflict the biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen disorder (depression)?

Answer 17

Just because drugs work by raising serotonin, doesn’t mean it is the cause, so low serotonin may not be a cause of depression

Question 18

How does drugs/medication not working for all patients with depression conflict the biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen study?

Answer 18

Low levels of monoamines may not be the cause of depression since medication which raises them doesn’t work for everyone

Question 19

What is an alternative theory to the biological explanation (neurotransmitters) for your chosen disorder (depression)?

Answer 19

Cognitive explanation, depression is due to maladaptive thoughts