The Biological Approach to Treating OCD Flashcards
What are SSRIs and how do they work?
Antidepressant - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
Serotonin is released by the presynaptic neuron and travels across the synapse. The neurotransmitter chemically conveys the signal to the postsynaptic neuron. By preventing reabsorption and breakdown, SSRIs increase levels of serotonin in the synapse and stimulate the post-synaptic neuron.
What is the recommended daily dosage of SSRIs?
Fluoxetine - 20mg. It takes 3-4 months of daily use to have an impact.
Which other treatment is often used alongside SSRIs?
CBT - the drugs can make them more responsive to treatment so CBT is more effective
What are Tricyclics?
Tricyclics are an older type of antidepressant, called clomipramine. This acts on various systems including serotonin where it is similar to SSRIs. It has more severe side effects so is kept in reserve for those who SSRIs dont work for.
What are SNRIs?
Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors
Used to treat OCD - a different class of drugs and are a second line of defence for those who don’t respond to SSRIs. They increase levels of serotonin as well as noradrenaline.
What is the strength - Evidence of effectiveness?
There is clear evidence that SSRIs reduce symptom severity and improve QOL. Soomro reviewed 17 studies comparing SSRIs to placebos and found that symptoms reduced for 70% of people.
What is the limitation - not the most effective?
Skapinakis carried out a review of multiple therapies and found that both cognitive and behavioural therapies were more effective than SSRIs.
What is the strength - cost-effective and non-disruptive?
A strength is that they are cheap compared to psychological treatments because thousands can be manufactured in the time it takes for 1 CBT session. Therefore it is a good use of funds. They are non-disruptive too, since they are simply a pill one can take when their symptoms decline - less disruptive than therapy.
What is the limitation - serious side effects?
Although drugs help people, a small minority have no benefit. Some people also experience side effects such as indigestion, blurred vision and loss of sex drive. Tricyclics have the worst side effects. More than 1 in 10 people have erection problems and weight gain and 1 in 100 have heart problems. This means that some have a reduced QOL as a result of taking them.
