Biological explanation of depression Flashcards
A neurotransmitter is
A chemical which carries messages between nerve cells
What are the names of the group of neurotransmitters linked to depression
Monoamines
Which is the main neurotransmitter linked to Schizophrenia?
Serotonin
Which neurotransmitter controls the others and is linked to mood and sleep?
Serotonin
Which neurotransmitter is linked to enjoyment and concentration?
Dopamine
Which neurotransmitter is linked to sleep and mood?
Serotonin
Which neurotransmitter is linked to energy levels?
Noradrenaline
What are the levels of neurotransmitter/level of activity associated with Depression?
Low levels of monoamines
What is an enzyme which breaks down the monoamines in the synapse leading to Depression?
MAO
What does MAO have to do with depression?
Too much of it means monoamines are broken down too much and there isn’t enough activity at the synapse
Which gene leads to reduced Serotonin production when stressed?
5HTT
What did Drevets find?
found reduced serotonin receptor-binding potential in unmedicated depressed patients.
What did Angoa-Perez find?
found that mice without the gene for tryptophan did not show signs of depression
What did Delgado find?
found that low monoamine did not make symptoms worse in depressed patients not taking medication.
What did Versiani find?
found that patients who had noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors increased their mood
Why is this a useful theory?
It has lead to drug treatments which work to lower symptoms- suggesting that this theory is credible
What is a problem in suggesting the drugs ‘prove’ this theory correct?
The drugs don’t work for everyone and don’t work instantly despite the fact the drugs change NT level quickly
A strength of using NT to explain causes of depression is?
Empirical- you can measure neurotransmitters directly
What is the problem with saying Monoamines CAUSE depression?
It has issues with cause and effect as most of the research is correlational, it could be Depression causes the reduction in monoamines not the other way
Why might cognitive be a better explanation?
It takes into account the thoughts/cognition i.e. faulty thinking which the neurotransmitter explanation don’t
Why is this theory reductionist?
It ignores environmental factors like early childhood expereicnes influencing cognitive processes/faulty thinking’s effects
What did Bell find?
depleted levels of tryptophan and found this caused a relapse of symptoms in depressed patients showing that changing the biology of a person can cause the symptoms of unipolar depression
What did Moncrieff (2022) find?
The main areas of serotonin research provide no consistent evidence of there being an association between serotonin and depression
