Psychopathology L13 Flashcards
1
Q
Drug therapy for OCD definition
A
- The biological approach uses drug therapy to correct the imbalance of neurochemicals (e.g: serotonin) in order to reduce symptoms
2
Q
What are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and how do they work?
A
- They are antidepressant drugs that are used to treat OCD
- These include Prozac, fluoxetine, etc
- Serotonin is released by postsynaptic neurons (brain cells) and travels across the synaptic cleft (gap between neurons)
- It chemically conveys the signal from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron and is then reabsorbed (re-uptake) by the presynaptic neuron, where it is broken down and reused
- They prevent the re absorption & breakdown of serotonin & increase the level of serotonin in the synapse, where it continued to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron
- This reduces anxiety
- It take 3-4 months of daily use for SSRIs to impact upon symptoms
3
Q
2 strengths of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
A
- It has research support
- Soomro (2009) reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRIs to placebo drugs for treating OCD
- All 17 studies showed that SSRIs were more effective than placebos, especially when SSRIs were combined with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
—————————————————— - 70% of patients have experienced a decline in OCD symptoms when taking SSRIs
- The remaining 30% of patients tend to opt for psychological therapies or a combination of SSRIs & psychological therapies
4
Q
1 weakness of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
A
- They have severe side effects which could mean that the OCD patient may stop taking the medication
- Side effects are temporary but include indigestion, blurred vision & loss of sex drive
5
Q
What are benzodiazepines (BZ) and how do they work?
A
- They are anti-anxiety drugs and are commonly used to treat OCD
- BZs (e.g: Valium & diazepam) slow down the activity of the central nervous system (CNS) by enhancing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA
- This has an inhibitory effect on neurons
- GABA does this by reacting with special sites called GABA receptors on the outside of the neurons
- When GABA locks into these receptors, it opens a channel that increases the flow of chloride ions into the neuron
- Chloride ions make it harder for the neuron to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters, therefore slowing down neural activity and making a person feel more relaxed
6
Q
1 strength of benzodiazepines
A
BZ drugs can begin to reduce anxiety levels and OCD symptoms in a short period of time, especially compared to other treatments like CBT
- Therefore, the patient experiences immediate relief
7
Q
1 weakness of benzodiazepines
A
- If they are used long-term, then several unwanted side effects can begin to appear
- E.g: drowsiness, depression & unpredictable interactions with alcohol
- Ashton (1997) found that long-term users of BZ became very dependent on the drug & a sudden withdrawal of the drug leads to a return of high levels of anxiety & OCD symptoms
- There is also the problem of tolerance where patients need to take larger and larger doses of the drug in order to reduce their OCD symptoms because their body gets used to the drug