Biological Therapies: DRUGS AND ECT

DRUG TREATMENTS

• Quarter of all mdeication prescribed in Briatin is 'psychiatric drugs' - drugs which modify the working of the brain and affect mood and behaiour. 
• Antipsychotics control symptons of schizophrenia found in 1950s.
• Antipsychotic Drugs
• Conventional antipsychotics combat the positive symptons of schizophrenia. 
• They block the neurotransmitter dopamine by bunding to dopamine receptors. 
• The atypical antipsychotic drugs only temporarily occupy dopamine receptors, then rapidly dissociate to allow normal dopamine transmitssion - lower side effects. (tardive dyskinesa)
• Antidepressant Drugs
• Depression is thought to be from insufficient ammounts of neurotransmitters; including seretonin.
• In normal brains, neurotransmitters are constatnly being released to stimulate neighbouring neurons. 
• To terminate action, neurotransmitters are re-absorbed into nerve endings, or broken down by enzymes. 
• Antidepressants work by reducing the rate of re-absorption or by blocking the enzyme which breaks dowon the neurotransmitters.  Both mechanisms increase the amount of neurotransmitter available to excite neighbouring cells. 
• SSRIs work by blocking the transpoter mechanism that re-absorbs seretoning in the presynaptic vell, more serteonin is in turn left in the synapse to prolong its activity.

EVALUATION

• Strengths
• Effectiveness
• Research evidece shows chemotherapies work; WHO (world health organisation) reported relapse rates after one year were highest when schizophrenics were treated with placebos. 25% with chlorpromazine alone and 2%-23% when chlorpromazine was combined with family intervention... drugs play an important role. Should be combined with family support to get a greater effect.
• Ease of Use
• Chemotherapy requires little effort from the user.
• Limitations
• Placebo Effects
• Psychological effect is a significant factor in the effectiveness of drugs
• Kirsch reviewed 38 studies of antidepressants and found that patients recieving placebos fared almost as well as those recieving real drugs.
• Other reviews have found stronger effects for the real drugs... Mulrow…