Psychopathology = Biological Approach To Treating Ocd

Question 1

Antidepressant : SSRI drugs stands for and examples

Answer 1

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors
E,g, Prozac and fluoxetine

Question 2

What are low levels of serotonin associate with

Answer 2

OCD and depression

Question 3

What do SRI drugs aim to do?

Answer 3

• prevent reuptake of serotonin and prolong its activity in the synapse
• person = feel less anxious + higher level of serotonin available

Question 4

Worry circuit

Answer 4

• low levels of serotonin implicated in circuit
• damage to caudate nucleus = can’t suppress minor worry signals = message sent to orbital frontal cortex = worrying + anxiety get worse

Question 5

Why are drugs given to ocd patients?

Answer 5

To increase serotonin levels and help to regulate mood + reduce anxiety levels

Question 6

What does increasing serotonin via SSRI drugs also do?

Answer 6

• helps normalise and reduce the worry circuit
• serotonin = readily available in receptor cells = high levels =increase in mood

Question 7

How does high levels of serotonin provided by SSRI drugs help?

Answer 7

• helps orbital frontal cortex function at normal levels
• OFC has extensive connections with sensory areas + li box system (involved in emotion and memory)
• SSRI drugs help stabilise mood + emotion + improve memory (reduces compulsive behaviour and checking)

Question 8

How many weeks are SSRI drugs prescribed for?

Answer 8

12-16 weeks

Question 9

SNRI stands for

Answer 9

Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors

Question 10

What is SNRI?

Answer 10

• new type of drugs = increases serotonin + noradrenaline
• suitable for ocd patients that can’t tolerate SSRI drugs

Question 11

What is noradrenaline?

Answer 11

• neurotransmitter released from sympathetic nervous system in response to stress
• aims to mobilise the brain + body for action
• SNRI’s act on the reuptake of noradrenaline

Question 12

SRRI’s positive = placebo

Answer 12

• Soomro = reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRI’s to placebo drugs for treating ocd
• all 17 studies showed SSRI = more effective than placebos, esp when combined with CBT
• SSRI = effective treatment for ocd

Question 13

SRRI positive = cost

Answer 13

• relatively cheap and cost effective compared to psychological therapies e.g. CBT
• SSRI = good value for money for the nhs + economical compared to other treatments

Question 14

SSRI negative = effectiveness

Answer 14

• don’t work for all OCD patients
• some patients = doesn’t alleviate ocd symptoms + they have to take alt drug instead which is more effective for them

Question 15

SRRI negative = criticiser

Answer 15

• Koran criticised use of drugs to help relieve ocd symptoms
• stated drug therapy = common + popular treatment but psychotherapies e.g. CBT = should be tried first to help reduce ocd Symptoms
• drugs don’t provide a lasting cure + patients may relapse within a few weeks if medication is stopped

Question 16

Benzodiazepines (BZ) drugs do what?

Answer 16

Reduces anxiety and aim to control action of neurotransmitters

Question 17

Examples of BZ drugs

Answer 17

Valium and Xanax

Question 18

What do BZ drugs do to the body?

Answer 18

• reduces activity in CNS and reduce brain arousal
• aim to reduce blood pressure + heart rate
• aim to increase GABA

Question 19

What is GABA and what does it do?

Answer 19

• neurotransmitter in the brain
• slows down the firing of neurons = less anxious and calmer = reduces physiological activity in the body

Question 20

What do BZ drugs do to GABA?

Answer 20

• BZ drugs bind to GABA receptor site of post synaptic neuron
• increases flow of chloride ions into PSN
• chloride ions = more difficult for neuron to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters = slows down its activity making the person feel more relaxed
• neurons in brain become less active and person feels calmer

Question 21

What does BZ reduce?

Answer 21

• anxiety that OCD patients might experience when having obsessive thoughts
• serotonin levels = lower arousal and reduces anxiety = less happy + more likely to get depressed

Question 22

BZ positive = effective

Answer 22

• works very quickly + effectively to cure symptoms compared to other treatments
• begin to reduce anxiety levels + ocd symptoms in short period of time = immediate benefits of relief

Question 23

BZ positive = side effects

Answer 23

• produces hardly any serious side effects unlike other types of drugs
• side effects kept to a minimum = good for OCD patients

Question 24

BZ negative = dependency

Answer 24

• Ashton = found long term users = very dependent on drug + sudden withdrawal leads to a return of high anxiety levels and symptoms
• drug escalation = patients need to take very large doses of the drug in order to reduce their OCD symptoms if they take the drug for a long period of time

Question 25

BZ negative = impairment in speed

Answer 25

• Stewart = criticises long term use = causes impairment in speed + processing of verbal learning
• temporary effects but still negative
• carried out meta analysis + clear evidence that long term use leads to cognitive impairments
• cognitive ability = improve once BZ drugs are withdrawn, but cognitive ability is still below that of control patients who have never taken BZ