Unipolar Depression: One Biological Treatment (Drugs) Flashcards
what is an example of first generation antidepressants
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
How do monoamine oxidase inhibitors work (MAOIs)
after neurotransmission, serotonin molecules get reabsorbed by presynaptic cell and broken down.
What breaks down monoamine oxidase inhibitors
enzyme called monoamine oxidase.
How do these drugs (MAOIs) produce more serotonin
the inhibitors block the enzyme so that more serotonin can be released in the future.
What other neurotransmitters does this drug (MAOIs) work on
all monoamine neurotransmitters
what are some side effects of MAOIs
headaches
insomia
dry mouth
What is an example of a second generation antidepressant
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
How does selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work
SSRIs block serotonin transporter, so serotonin cannot be recycled and remains in the synapse.
SSRIs: what the role of a serotonin transporter
protein that helps with serotonin reuptake
What does the blocking of the serotonin transporter lead to? (SSRIs)
Prolonged effect of the antidepressant
What are some side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors? (SSRIs)
Blurred vision
Loss of appetite
Dry mouth
What are the 2 newer generation drugs
Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Noradrenic and specific serotogenic antidepressants (NaSSAs)
How are serotonin-nroadrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) different to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)?
SNRIs target noradrenaline aswell as serotonin, inhibiting the reuptake of both neurotransmitters.
How does noradrenic and specific serotonergic antidepressants work (NaSSAs)
Work like SNRIs by inhibiting the reuptake of both neurotransmitters but also act as antagonists of serotonin and noradrenaline receptors.
what are some side effects of SNRI (serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors)
tiredness
constipation
erectile dysfunction
Side effects of NaSSAs (noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants)
weight gain
constipation
dry mouth
What is a weakness of drug treatments
They target the symptoms and not the actual cause of it.
Weakness of drug treatment: evidence that it doesn’t target cause
drugs taken stabilise the dysfunction of serotonin circuits, which leads to improved symptoms, it doesn’t actually target the cause of depression (environmental or genetic).
Weakness of drug treatment: Compare it to CBT
CBT may be a better treatment as drugs only have a short term effect where treatments like CBT may target the root cause of it
What is a strength of drug treatments
a meta analysis showed antidepressants are effective.
Strength of drug treatment: procedure of meta analysis
looked at 21 different antidepressants, 552 double blind trails involving about 116,500 people with depression.
Strength of drug treatment: what did the meta analysis find
all drugs were more effective than the placebo
strength of drug teatment: why was this meta analysis important?
it was the biggest piece of evidece showing antidepressants were effective in improving moods
What is a competing arguement to this meta analysis?
same study found…
- most effective drugs had the worst complience rates
- individual differences could affect how much antidepressants worked
competing arguement: what does complience rates mean
whether people are more likely to stop taking them
What is a strength of the application of the treatment
can remove the stigma that depression is caused by laziness or other psychological weakness’
Strength of application: how are these stigmas challenged
as depression is increasingly seen as a medical disorder that responds to drugs, more people realise that its not caused by the individuals fault.
Strength of application: why is challenging stigmas a benefit
it can help more people seek out help without fear of blame.
