Module 55: The Biomedical Therapies and Preventing Psychological Disorders Flashcards
Psychopharmacology
Study of drug effects on mind and behavior, has helped make drug therapy the most widely used biomedical therapy
What is the most widely used biomedical therapy?
Drug therapy
Most common drug treatments for psychological disorders
Antipsychotic drugs, antianxiety drugs antidepressant drugs, and mood-stabilizing drugs
Antipsychotic drugs
Mimic certain neurotransmitters (block/increase activity of dopamine); reduce overreaction to irrelevant stimuli
May produce sluggishness, tremors, twitches, and tardive dyskinesia; Thorazine
Successfully used life-skills programs and family support to treat schizophrenia
Antianxiety drugs
Depress Central Nervous System activity; Xanax, Ativan
Used in combination with psychological therapy
May reduce symptoms w/o resolving underlying problems; withdrawal linked to increased anxiety and insomnia
Antidepressant drugs
Increase availability of norepinephrine or serotonin; promote the birth of new brain cells
Slow synaptic vacuuming up of serotonin (SSRIs)
Effectiveness is sometimes questioned due to spontaneous recovery and placebo effect
Mood-stabilizing medications
Depakote: Controls manic episodes
Lithium: Levels out the emotional highs or lows of bipolar disorder
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Manipulates the brain by shocking it, involves the administration of general anesthetic and muscle relaxation to prevent convulsions, and causes less memory disruption than earlier versions.
The American Medical Association concluded that ECT methods have some of the most positive treatment effects and reduce suicidal thoughts
Transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS)
Administers a weak (1- to 2-milliamp) current directly to the scalp (skeptics argue that such a current is too weak to penetrate to the brain; studies do not confirm cognitive benefits)
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
Sends magnetic energy to brain surface through coiled wire held close to brain; fewer side effects; modest effectiveness
Deep brain stimulation
Manipulates the depressed brain via pacemaker; stimulates inhibition activity related to negative emotions and thoughts
Psychosurgery
Removes or destroys brain tissue in effort to change behavior
Is irreversible; least used biomedical therapy
Lobotomy
Psychosurgical procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients
Cuts the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain
Today, less invasive techniques are used; MRI-guided surgery may be performed in severe disorders
Resilience
Personal strength that helps people cope with stress and recover from adversity and trauma
