Biological Therapies Flashcards
What are the 3 main types of biological therapies?
1) Antipsychotic drugs
2) Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
3) Psychosurgery
How many different types of antipsychotic drugs are there?
2
What are the 2 different types of antipsychotic drugs?
Typical and atypical drugs
What are antipsychotic drugs in terms of dopamine?
Dopamine antagonists
Outline typical antipsychotic drugs
Primarily used to combat positive symptoms like hallucinations and thought disturbances - reduces the effect of dopamine - bind to dopamine receptors but do not stimulate them thus blocking their action
Name an example of a typical antipsychotic drug
Chlorpromazine
How much do typical antipsychotic drugs cost a year?
£10
Outline atypical antipsychotic drugs
Also used to combat positive symptoms but there are claims they have some beneficial effects on negative symptoms as well - thought to block serotonin receptors too - thought only temporarily occupy D2 receptors and rapidly dissociate to allow dopamine transmission hence recuing levels of side effects found when compared to conventional drugs
Name an example of an atypical antipsychotic drug
Clozapine
How much do atypical antipsychotic drugs costs a year?
£1500
Outline how ECT is given
Electric current is passed between 2 scalp electrodes to create a seizure - an electrode is placed above the temple of the non-dominant side of the brain and a second in the middle of the forehead (unilateral) - patient is injected with short-acting barbiturate so unconscious before electric shock is administered - given nerve-blocking agent, paralysing muscles to prevent them from contracting during treatment and fracturing - small amount of electric current of about 0.6A, lasting about half a second, passed through the brain - produces seizure lasting up to one minute which affects the entire brain - patient usually requires between 3-15 treatments
Outline psychosurgery for SZ
Involves damaging the brain to bring about behavioural changes - first used in the late 30s to sever connections between frontal lobes and rest of the brain - after, patients were calmer and displayed no symptoms of SZ but were sluggish, apathetic and no real quality of life
What is a big type of psychosurgery?
Ice-pick lobotomy
Outline ice-pick lobotomy
Involved instrument similar to an ice-pick - inserted under upper eye-lid and hammered up into the brain through orbital socket followed by rotation to sever connections - estimated 18,000 performed in the USA 1939-1951 but by 70s, died out due to drug therapies - some still carried out but only in very exceptional circumstances and using microelectrodes or lasers
What is a big issue of using antipsychotic drugs?
Ethical issues
What are the ethical issues of antipsychotic drugs?
There are side effects, death and psychosocial consequences associated with their use - when consequences are taken into account, cost-benefit analysis of advantage would most likely be negative
Name 2 positive points about typical antipsychotic drugs
1) Effectiveness in terms of relapse rates
2) Barlow & Durand (95)