psych101: psychological therapies pt 2

antipsychotics examples

chlorpromazine, clozapine, quetiapine

antianxiety examples

xanax, klonopin, ativan

antidepressants examples

SSRIs, prozac, zoloft

psychedelics examples

ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA

mood stabilizers examples

lithium

antipsychotic drugs

address positive symptoms (presence of maladaptive behavior) vs negative symptoms (absence of normal functioning) of psychotic disorders (ex. schizophrenia)

chlorpromazine

address positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations), dopamine antagonist

side effects: slow movement, tardive dyskinesia

tardive dyskinesia

unvoluntary movement

clozapine, quetiapine

works on dopamine and serotonin receptors, less likely to produce side effects but increased risk of diabetes and obesity

antianxiety drugs

depress CNS activity, typically depressants

combined with psychotherapy, particularly effective with anxiety-related disorders, PTSD, OCD

xanax, klonopin, ativan

allosteric modulators for GABA (doesnt directly bind to GABA receptor site, but influences increased GABA transmission)

may reduce symptom severity without targeting underlying issues mechanisms (can be abused because its a quick fix)

antidepressant drugs

used for more than depression; anxiety related disorders, OCD, PTSD

regulates many neurotransmitters to balance/increase arousal, mood

has many side effects, its a last resort

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)

selectively blocks serotonin reuptake to increase serotonin reuptake

prozac, zoloft

take ~4 weeks for full psychological effects, encourages neurogenesis and neuroplasticity

psychedelic drugs

effects of microdosing is being studied, but overall positive effect

doesnt target a specific drug class

ketamine

reduce depression symptoms quickly; acts as an opioid (addictive and dangerous)

synaptogenesis

forming of new synapses

psilocybin (mushrooms)

shown to have similar effects to antidepressants with fewer side effects, can facilitate cell growth/neuroplasticity

MDMA

shown to reduce symptoms of PTSD

mood stabilizing drugs

diminishes depressive thinking, clears thinking patterns during mania

allows psychotherapy to be more effective and reduce excitatory neurotransmission, while increasing inhibitory neurotransmission (GABA)

lithium

used for bipolar disorder, highly effective

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

psychiatrist administers a strong current which triggers a brain seizure in the anesthetized patient

deep brain stimulation (DBS)

psychiatrist stimulates electrodes implanted in “sadness centers” to calm those areas

transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

psychiatrist applies a weak current to the scalp

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

psychiatrist sends a painless magnetic field through the skull to the surface of the cortex to alter brain activity