AP Psych Unit 5 | Biological Interventions in Mental Health Treatment

Psychotropic Medication Therapy

the use of medications to treat mental health disorders by affecting brain chemistry, aiming to alleviate symptoms and improve functioning

Psychoactive Medications

drugs that affect brain chemistry and are used to treat mental health disorders

• alleviate symptoms

• improve emotional and cognitive functioning

Antidepressants

psychoactive medications used to treat depressive disorders by altering brain chemistry

• primarily increase the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine to improve mood and emotional state

Lithium

psychoactive medication commonly used to treat bipolar disorder by stabilizing mood swings and reducing the frequency and severity of manic and depressive episodes

Antianxiety Drugs

psychoactive drugs used to alleviate anxiety symptoms by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain, promoting relaxation and reducing excessive nervousness or worry

Antipsychotic Medications

psychoactive medications used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia and other severe mental disorders by altering neurotransmitter activity in the brain

• help to reduce delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking

Tardive Dyskinesia

potential side effect of long-term use of antipsychotic medications, characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements

• such as grimacing, tongue movements, and jerking of the limbs

Psychosurgery

medical procedure that involves surgically altering brain tissue to treat severe mental disorders

• typically used as a last resort when other treatments have failed

Lobotomy

surgical procedure that involves severing connections in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, historically used to treat severe mental disorders but now largely abandoned due to its severe and often harmful side effects

Lesioning

procedure that involves creating small, targeted damage to specific areas of the brain to treat neurological or psychological disorders, often used to alleviate symptoms when other treatments are ineffective

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain, commonly used to treat depression by improving mood and cognitive function

Electroconvulsive Therapy

medical treatment that involves sending small electric currents through the brain to induce a brief seizure, often used to treat severe depression and other mental disorders when other treatments have been ineffective