Monoamine hypothesis

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  • Created by: tomtom11
  • Created on: 25-02-17 13:36
Monoamine hypothesis STRENGTH- McNeal and Cimbolic (1986)
Depressed patients = lower levels of 5-H1AA chemicals than non-depressed patients. Chemical = found when serotonin is broken down into cerebrospinal fluid, suggests depressed patients = low serotonin.
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Monoamine hypothesis STRENGTH- Klimeck et al (1997)
Compared the locus coeruleus of 15 dead depressed patients with 15 controls. The area produces noradrenaline, and structural differences were found- suggesting depression results from an abnormal brain structure that affects NT production.
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Monoamine Hypothesis STRENGTH of treatments
If the explanation is that depression is caused by a monoamine deficiency, and drugs that relieve depression replace those deficiencies, and they work, then surely this is an explanation of the hypothesis being correct
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Monoamine Hypothesis WEAKNESS- Delgado (2000)
Claimed that evidence for there being a specific deficiency in a certain type of monoamine hasn't been found and is difficult to measure.
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Monoamine hypothesis WEAKNESS of this explanation
Alternative biological explanations implicated the CNS relating to stress and includes an increase in the levels of cortisol. It suggests that the monoamine hypothesis may be incorrect.
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Monoamine hypothesis WEAKNESS of the drugs
Drugs like opipramol are used to treat depression but whose action isn't related to monoamine neurotransmitters, which puts the hypothesis in doubt as it suggests the monoamine hypothesis is incomplete due to other factors being present.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Compared the locus coeruleus of 15 dead depressed patients with 15 controls. The area produces noradrenaline, and structural differences were found- suggesting depression results from an abnormal brain structure that affects NT production.

Back

Monoamine hypothesis STRENGTH- Klimeck et al (1997)

Card 3

Front

If the explanation is that depression is caused by a monoamine deficiency, and drugs that relieve depression replace those deficiencies, and they work, then surely this is an explanation of the hypothesis being correct

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Claimed that evidence for there being a specific deficiency in a certain type of monoamine hasn't been found and is difficult to measure.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Alternative biological explanations implicated the CNS relating to stress and includes an increase in the levels of cortisol. It suggests that the monoamine hypothesis may be incorrect.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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