Biological Therapy - OCD

Question 1

the biological approach to treating OCD involves

Answer 1

drug therapy

Question 2

drug treatments usually work by

Answer 2

increasing levels of serotonin in the brain using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Question 3

main OCD drug

Answer 3

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Question 4

SSRIs are a type of

Answer 4

antidepressant drug that increases the availability of serotonin

Question 5

SSRIs prevent the reuptake of serotonin in

Answer 5

the synaptic celft

Question 6

advantage: several researchers have found SSRIs to be effective in

Answer 6

treating OCD

Question 7

advantage: Thoren et al date

Answer 7

1980

Question 8

advantage: Thoren et al found that use of an

Answer 8

SSRI was significantly better at reducing obsessional thoughts than a placebo

Question 9

advantage: research has found that using

Answer 9

other antidepressants that don’t affect serotonin levels is ineffective at reducing OCD symptoms

Question 10

disadvantage: up to

Answer 10

50% of patients with OCD don’t experience any improvement in their symptoms when taking SSRIs

Question 11

disadvantages: out of those that do improve, up to

Answer 11

90% have a relapse when they stop taking them

Question 12

disadvantages: SSRIs have to be taken for

Answer 12

several weeks before the patients experiences an improvement in their symptoms

Question 13

disadvantages: side effects include

Answer 13

nausea
increased levels of anxiety
headaches