The biological approach to treating OCD - TBC Flashcards
What do biological treatments aim to do for OCD?
To restore chemical imbalances in the brain, eg levels of serotonin.
What treatment did Gava et al. (2007) say was the most common treatment for OCD patients?
Drug therapies
What does drug therapy aim to do?
Increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain.
What is associated with OCD?
Low levels of serotonin and high levels of dopamine
What are the different drug therapies used for OCD?
SSRI’s, Tricyclics, SNRI’s and benzodiazepines
What does SSRI stand for?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
What is the standard medical treatment used to tackle symptoms of OCD?
SSRI’s
How do SSRI’s work?
They work on the serotonin system in the brain, when some serotonin is not absorbed it is reabsorbed into the pre-synaptic neuron.
SSRIS’s increase the level of serotonin available in the synapse by preventing it from being reabsorbed, increasing levels of serotonin in the synapse.
What can drug therapies be combined with?
Drugs are often used alongside cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
How do drugs and CBT work together?
Drugs reduce the patient’s emotional symptoms eg, feeling anxious or depressed. CBT then works to combat any underlying anxiety and depression faced by the patient
What type of solution is combining CBT and drugs?
Favoured as a more holistic solution
What are some alternatives for SSRI’s?
Tricyclics
SNRI’s
Benzodiazepines
What is a tricyclic?
The tricyclic clomipramine was the first antidepressant to be used for OCD.
How do tricyclics work?
They block the transporter mechanism that reabsorbs both serotonin and noradrenaline, as a result more of these neurotransmitters are left in the synapse prolonging their activity.
What is an advantage of using tricyclics?
They can target more than one neurotransmitter but they have greater side effects so they are used as a second line treatment for people where SSRI’s aren’t as effective.
What does SNRI stand for?
Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors
How do SNRI’s work?
They are more new and they work by increasing levels of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain, they are a second line defence for people where SSRI’s aren’t as effective.
What are benzodiazepines?
Anti-anxiety medications that slow down the activity of the CNS by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA.
How do Benzodiazepines work?
They force GABA to bind to receptor sites that increase the flow of chloride ions into the neuron, which make it hard for the neuron to be stimulated by anything other than GABA thus leading to a calming effect.
What are some examples of benzodiazepines?
Xanax, valium and diazepam.
