The Biological Approach To Treating OCD Flashcards
What is drug therapy?
- treatment involving drugs chemicals that have effects and function of the brain or some other body system. it affects the neurotransmitter levels
What is SSRIs?
Used to tackle the symptoms of OCD it’s an antidepressant drug called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor. They are released by the pre-synaptic neurons and travel to the postsynaptic neuron and then reabsorbed by the pre-synaptic neuron were broke down and reused. SSRI increases levels of serotonin in the synapse and continue to stimulate this up to the postsynaptic neurone for what’s wrong with the serotonin system .and OCD a typical daily dose of fluoxetine is 20 mg as it can be increased and it takes 3 to 4 months of daily use.
Explain combining SSRIs with other treatments?
Drugs are used alongside CBT to treat OCD, they reduce a persons emotional system such as feeling anxious or depressed. This means people with OCD can engage more effectively with the CBT occasionally other drugs are also prescribed alongside SSR’s.
Explain alternative to SSRIs?
After 3 to 4 months to dose can be increased or it can be combined with other drugs, people respond very differently to different drugs.
Tricyclics are sometimes used such as clomipramine, this acts in various systems including serotonin system where it has the same effect as SSRIs. However it has more side-effects than SSRIs so people generally keep it in reserve for people who do not respond to SSRI.
SNRI these are second line of the defence for people who don’t respond to SSRIS these increase levels of serotonin as well as different neurotransmitters - noradrenaline
Evaluate one strength of drug treatment for OCD?
there is good evidence for its effectiveness SSRIs reduce symptom severity and improve the quality of life for people with OCD. For example Mustafa reviewed 17 study that compared SSRI to placebo and the treatment of OCD 17 study should significantly better outcomes for SSRI then the placebo conditions. This typically helped 70% of people. The other 30% can be helped through psychological therapy or drug combinations.
What is one further strength of drugs treatment for OCD?
They’re cost-effective and non-destructive to peoples lives they are cheap compared to psychological treatments and can be made very quickly. You can simply also take drugs until your symptoms Decline
what is one limitation for drug treatment of OCD?
they have potential serious side-effects .for example ,blurred vision and loss of sex drive. They are usually temporary but can be quite distressing for example tricyclic clomipramine people experience erection problems and weight gain an 1 in 100 become aggressive and experience Heart rate problems. This reduces quality of life.
