The biological approach to treating OCD Flashcards
What are SSRI’s?
The standard medical treatment used to tackle the symptoms of all OCD and involves a particular type of anti-depressant drug called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
What do SSRI’s work on?
The serotonin system in the brain (serotonin is released by certain neurons in the brain)
What happens to serotonin?
It is released by the pre-synaptic neurons and travel across the synapse. The neurotransmitter chemically conveys signal from the pre-synaptic neuron to the post-synaptic neuron and is then reabsorbed by the pre-synaptic neuron where it is broken down and reused
By preventing the breakdown and reabsorption of serotonin what do SSRI’s do?
Effectively increase its levels in the synapse and also continues to stimulate the post-synaptic neuron - this compensates for whatever is wrong with the serotonin system in OCD
What may vary when prescribed SSRI’s?
Dosage and advice - Fluoxetine is 20g although this may increase, this can take 3-4 months to work effectively
How can SSRI’s be combined with other treatments?
Drugs are often used alongside CBT to treat OCD
The drugs reduce the emotional symptoms such as feeling anxious or depressed which means the patient can engage more effectively with CBT. Which works more effectively depends on the individual
What are the alternatives to SSRI’s?
When they are not effective after 3-4 months the dose can be increased or it can be combines with other drugs - sometimes different anti-depressants are tried. Patients may respond very differently
What are tricyclics?
These are another type of anti-depressant and have the same effect on serotonin systems as SSRI’s. Clomipramine has more severe side effects and are generally kept for patients who do not respond to SSRI’s
What are SNRI’s?
These are drugs that recently have been used to treat those who do not respond to SSRI’s - they increase serotonin as well as noradrenaline
What is a key strength of drug treatment?
They are cheap compared to psychological treatments and therefore this is good for NHS. They are also non-disruptive to patients lives and they can just take them until they are cured
What side effects can the drugs have?
They work for the majority but a small number do not benefit. Sufferers can be side effects such as blurred vision, loss of sex drive - generally temporary
What are the side effects of Clomipramine?
Much more common and serious - they can suffer erection problems, tremors and weight gain. One in a hundred suffer heart problems and high blood pressure- these may reduce effectiveness as people stop taking the drug
Why is the evidence for drug treatments unreliable?
Some psychologists believe the evidence that supports use of drugs is biased because they are sponsored by drug companies (Goldacre 2013)
Why is the fact that some OCD cases follow trauma a weakness?
OCD is believed to be widely biological in origin so it makes sense that the standard treatment should be biological. However it is acknowledged that OCD has a range of other causes such as traumatic life events
What was the research into Olanzapine?
SSRI’s reduce symptoms in around 70% of patients so alternatives are needed for the remaining 30
Bogetto trailed a drug called Olanzapine with 23 patients who had not responded to SSRI’s and 10 of these patients responded to the mean drug
