If there was an inbalance of neurotransmitters. For example schizophrenia has been related to excess dopamine and depression to reduced serotonine
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How would genetics make you abnormal?
All physical characteristics are determined by genes. For example Holland Et Al did an experiment with anorexia and non-identical twins
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What did Holland Et Al find in their experiment?
Identical twins were more likely than non-identical twins to both get anorexia suggesting a genetic component
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How would brain structure make you abnormal?
The structure of the brain effects abnormality e.g. a twin with schizophrenia had enlarged ventricles, charles whitman had a trmour in his brain when he went on his massacre, if you have a blow to the head you can become abnormal
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How would viral infection/illness make you abnormal?
Research suggests some disorders (e.g schizophrenia) can be related to certain virus' while theyre in the womb (for many mothers who contracted a particular strain of flu while pregnant their child had schizophrenia
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What are the strenghts of the biological approach?
It has practical applications, there is supported research (e.g. Holland)
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What are the weaknesses of the biological approach?
The view is reductionist, scientific research hasnt always supported it, model only deals with symptoms not the cause
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What are the biological therapies?
Drugs and ECT
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What are the two main drugs used for biological therapies?
Antipsychotics and Antidepressants
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How do antipsychotics work?
They temporarily occupy dopamine receptors meaning that normal dopamine tansmition
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How do antidepressants work?
Reducing the rate of re-absorption or by blocking the enzyme which breaks down the neurotransmitters
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What are the strenghts of drugs?
They offer a significant relief to sufferers, reasonably effective, can be very effective when used together with psychotherapy, readily avaliable
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What are the weaknesses of drugs?
Effectiveness varies between indiviuals, drugs may have placebo effect, they do not provide long term cure, they treat the symptoms not the cause
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What do you do with ECT?
The patient is given anasthetic and muscle relaxant, a sub-lethal electric shock is applied to the temple to produce a siezure, it takes a total of 6 sessions
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How does ECT work?
The shock activates noradrenaline transmission, reduces serotonine re-uptake and increases sensitivity of dopamine receptors
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What are the strengths of ECT?
Offers faster relief that drugs which is important for suicidal patients, appears to be successful
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What are the weaknesses of ECT?
There are physical side effects like impaired memory and headaches, controversial treatment as no one is sure how it works
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What are the possible causes of Biological Abnormality?
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