Brain Health 3 Flashcards
psychotherapy/talk therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Help patients overcome negative views about self, ongoing experiences in the world, and views about the future.
Strong correlation between severity of depression and amount of negative automatic thoughts sufferer experiences (Boury et al 2001)
Trained psychologists help patients to first identify the thoughts (cognition) as faulty (unrealistic or irrational) and then adopt new behaviors. (Therapy won’t get rid of stressors)
Shown to be just as effective as drugs but be wary with thinking just cognitive – can’t “think” themselves better.
Most effective course of action is to pair medications with CBT and changes in lifestyle.
electroconvulsive therapy
Inducing seizures in the Temporal lobe (affecting Hippocampus)
Anesthesia and muscle relaxers prevent muscle contractions during therapy
Therapy has immediate results, used to treat severe depression when medications not working
Might allow neural rewiring or boost neurogenesis, neurons produce normal amount
of receptors.
Side effects: memory loss of events before
therapy and temporary inability to store
new memories
lithium
highly effective in stabilizing the mood of patients
How works not fully known but strengthens nerve connections in areas involved in regulating mood, thinking and behavior
Affects flow of sodium, determines how excited or manic you feel, so better at decreasing mania
Closely monitor levels, cause kidney and thyroid problems, weight gain, tremors, problems with digestion.
treats bipolar and manic disorders
symptoms and kinds of schizophrenia
can’t be cured
Symptoms of schizophrenia: Loss of contact with reality
Three types of schizophrenia (but possibly tens of separate disorders)
Paranoid schizophrenia
Disorganized schizophrenia
Catatonic schizophrenia
more symptoms of schizophrenia
onset in adolescence or early adulthood
hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, movement disorders, flat effect (reduced expression of emotion), less pleasure, less speaking, low motivation, cognitive deficits
brain problems in schizophrenia
Prefrontal Cortex and the Limbic System
MRI shows enlarged ventricles, thinner grey matter in the region of the Prefrontal cortex and Parietal cortex.
The earlier the onset, the greater the degree of tissue loss.
genes v environment in schizophrenia
Genes
100+ different genes can affect risk
Age of father: 25 yrs then 1/198 chance, 40 yrs then double the risk
Larger ventricles
Inadequate myelin surrounding axons in cerebral cortex
Abnormal clusters of neurons in cerebral cortex
Changes at the synapse and synaptic transmission
Environment
Exposure to viral infection (Ex. Rubella) in utero
Poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy
Environmental toxins, higher risk growing up in urban areas
Heavy Drug use during early adolescence (Ex. Marijuana) (Be wary?)
dopamine hypothesis for schizophrenia
Symptoms (like psychosis) of Schizophrenia are due to a disturbed and hyperactive dopaminergic signal transduction by high levels of dopamine and high numbers of dopamine receptors. (proximal to root cause)
Too much Amphetamine causes psychosis identical to schizophrenia. Amphetamines enhance neurotransmission at synapses utilizing dopamine and cause release of dopamine.
Neuroleptic drugs that block dopamine D2 receptors reduce symptoms (but can cause Parkinsonian symptoms)
glutamate hypothesis for schizophrenia
Symptoms of Schizophrenia are due to altered modulation of the glutamate pathways, specifically the disruption of NMDA receptor function. (proximal to root cause)
When Glutamate NMDA receptors blocked by drugs like phencyclidine (PCP), hallucinations and paranoia exhibited.
Studies in rats given low doses PCP or genetically engineered to express fewer NMDA receptors, exhibited schizophrenia symptoms.
new focus schizophrenia
drugs to increase responsiveness of NMDA receptor
some drugs promote myelin growth
vitamins and minerals most commonly deficient in americans
Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine), B9 (folic Acid)*, B12 (Cobalamin) Vitamin D Vitamin A Vitamin E* Iron Magnesium*
(Any nutrient that is mostly found in plants)
why americans deficient in these
Not eating a balanced diet.
Not eating enough fruits and vegetables.
Not enough sunlight exposure.
vitamins and minerals that need special supplementation in vegetarians and vegans
B complex vitamins (B2, B12)
Vitamin D
Zinc
Biotin
