bio app to treating ocd Flashcards
Drug therapy
Antidepressant: SSRIs
Anti-depressant: Tricylics (not important)
Anti-anxiety drugs: BZs
Anti-depressant: SSRIs
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors
The biological explanation suggests that OCD is the result of low levels of the serotonin in the brain.
When serotonin is released from the pre-synaptic cell into the synapse, it travels to the receptor sites on the post-synaptic neuron.
Serotonin which is not absorbed into the post-synaptic neuron is reabsorbed into the pre-synaptic neuron.
SSRIs increase the level of serotonin available in the synapse by preventing it from being reabsorbed into the sending cell.
This increases level of serotonin in the synapse and results in more serotonin being received by the post-synaptic neuron.
Antidepressants are used to reduce the anxiety associated with OCD
Anti-anxiety drugs: BZs
BZs slow down the activity of the central nervous system by enhancing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA.
GABA: a neurotransmitter that when released tells neurons in the brain to ‘slow down’ and ‘stop firing’
= has a general quietening effect on many of the neurons in the brain consequently reduce anxiety, which is experienced as a result of the obsessive thoughts.
It does this by reacting with special sites (called GABA receptors) on the outside of receiving neurons.
When GABA locks into these receptors it opens a channel that increases the flow of chloride ions into the neuron. Chloride ions make it harder for the neuron to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters, thus slowing down its activity and making the person feel more relaxed.
AO3:
str: effectiveness
lim: short term
str: preffered to other treatments
lim: side effects
str: effectiveness
Considerable evidence for the effectiveness of drug treatments.
Typically a randomised control trial is used to compare the effectiveness of the drug versus a placebo
Soomro et al: reviewed 17 studies of the use of SSRIs with OCD patients and found them to be more effective than placebos in reducing the symptoms of OCD up to three months after treatment.
Shows effectiveness of the SSRIs and supports the use of biological treatments, especially SSRIs, for OCD.
lim: short term
One of the issues regarding the evaluation of treatment is that most studies are only of three to four months’ duration (Koran et al., 2007).
Therefore, while drug treatments have been shown to be effective in the short term, the lack of long-term data is a limitation.
str: preffered to other treatments
Requires little input from the user in terms of effort and time.
In contrast, therapies such as CBT require the patient to attend regular meetings and put considerable thought into tackling their problems.
Drug therapies are also cheaper for the health service because they require little monitoring and cost much less than psychological treatments.
Furthermore, patients may benefit simply from talking with a doctor during consultations
These benefits means that drug therapies are more economical for the
health service than psychological therapies.
Lim: side effects
Possible side effects of drugs like SSRIs and BZs.
Although evidence suggests that SSRIs are effective in treating OCD, some patients experience mild side effects like indigestion, while other might experience more serious side effects like hallucinations, erection problems and raised blood pressure.
BZs are renowned for being highly addictive and can also cause increased aggression and long-term memory impairments. As a result, BZs are usually only prescribed for short-term treatment.
Consequently, these side effect diminish the effectiveness of drug treatments, as patients will often stop taking medication if they experience these side effects.
