Biomedical
DRUG THERAPIES : USING STIMULANTS TO TREAT ADHD
biomedical therapies : treatments designed to reduce psychological disorder by influencing the action of the central nervous system
typically involve the use of medications but also include direct methods of brain intervention including electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and psychosurgery
DRUG THERAPIES
if there is a proper balance of chemicals then the persons mental health will be acceptable
psychological disorder will result if there is a chemical imbalance
the most frequently used biological treatments provide the patient with medication that influences the production and reuptake of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system
the use of drugs is rapidly increasing
drug therapy is now the most common approach to treatment of most psychological disorders
psychological drug therapies are not specific, they dont change particular behaviors or thought processes and they dont resolve the disorder
the best drug combination for the individual patient is usually found through trial and error
In summary : biomedical therapies include any treatments that affect actions of the central nervous system
USING STIMULANTS TO TREAT ADHD
adhd is frequently treated with biomedical therapy and cognitive behavior therapy
the most commonly prescribed drugs for ADHD are psychostimulants including : Ritalin, adderall, and Dexedrine
short acting forms of the drugs are taken as pills and last from 4 to 12 hours
some of the drugs are available in long acting forms ( skin patches) and last up to 12 hours
stimulants improve the major symptoms of ADHD including inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity
the effects of the drugs wear off quickly
the best drug and dosage varies from child to child
when large doses of stimulants are taken, they increase activity, but in smaller doses the same stimulants improve attention and decrease motor activity
the most common side effects of psychostimulants in children include increased appetite, weight loss, sleeping problems, and irritability as the effect of the medication wears off
stimulant medications may be associated with a slightly reduced growth rate in children, but growth isn’t permanently affected
DRUG THERAPIES : ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS
antidepressant medications : drugs designed to improve moods
they are effective for patients who suffer from depression,, anxiety, phobias, and obsessive compulsive disorders
they work by influencing the production and reuptake of neurotransmitters that relate to emotion including : serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine
the amount of the neurotransmitters in the central nervous system is increased through the action of the drugs, the person often experiences less depression
the original antidepressants were the tricyclic antidepressants which were Tofranil and Elavil. and the monamine oxidase inhibitors Nardil and Parnate
those medications worked by increasing the amount of serotonin norepinephrine and dopamine at the synapses but they also had severe side effects including an increse in blood pressure and the need to follow a specific diet
the antidepressants most prescribed today are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors which are Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft
they are designed to selectively block the reuptake of serotonin at the synapse, leaving more serotonin available in the central nervous system
they are safer and have fewer side effects than the tricyclic’s
SSRI’s are effective, but the patients taking them often suffer side effects such as : dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, headache, agitation, drowsiness, or reduction in sexual enjoyment
there is a warning on ssri’s from the FDA
doctors are more selective about prescribing ssris to teens
the effects of antidepressants may take weeks or even months to develop
doctors work with each patient to determine which medications are most effective and may change medications to find the best fit
other types of antidepressants may be used instead of or with ssri’s
these medications work by blocking the reuptake of neurotransmitters including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. these medications may be Effexor and Wellbutrin
patients suffering from bipolar disorder are not helped by antidepressants
people with bipolar disorders are primarily treated with mood stabilizers such as lithium
DRUG THERAPIES : ANTIANXIETY AND ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS
anti anxiety medications : drugs that help relieve fear or anxiety
they work by increasing the action of the neurotransmitter GABA
the increased level of GABA helps inhibit the action of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, creating a calming experience
the most common class of antianxiety medications is benzodiazepines
benzodiazepines are tranquilizers
these drugs include Ativan, Valium, and Xanax
they act within a few minutes to treat mild anxiety disorders but also have major side effects
the drugs are addictive
the side effects are : drowsiness, dizziness, and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms
the drugs are very dangerous when mixed with alcohol
ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS
previous to the mid 20th century, individuals with schizophrenia were put in asylums because of their symptoms
in the 1950s, it was found that chlorpromazine could reduce many of the symptoms of schizophrenia
another name for an sntipsychotic is neuroleptic
antipsychotic drugs : drugs that treat the symptoms of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders
there are many antispychotics such as : Thorazine, Haldol, Clozaril, Risperdal, and Zyprexa
some of the drugs treat the positive symptoms, and some treat both the positive, negative, and coognitive symptoms
the discovery os chlorpromazine has been described as the single greatest advance in psychiatric care bacuse it has dramatically improved the prognosis of patients in psychiatric hospitals worldwide
using antipsychotic medication has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to move out of asylums into households or community mental health centers and live near normal lives
antipsychotics reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia by reducing the transmission of dopamine at the synapses in the limbic system and improve the negative symptoms by influencing levels of serotonin
antipsychotics have some negaitve side effects such as : restlessness, muscle spasms, dizziness, and blurred vision
their long term use can cause permanent neurological damage
tardive dyskinesia : uncontrollable muscle movements, usually in the mouth are
newer antipsychotics treat more symptoms with fewer side effects than older medications do
DIRECT BRAIN INTERVENTION THERAPIES
in cases of severe disorder it may be desirable to directly influence brain activity through electrical activation of the brain or through brain surgery
electroconvulsive therapy : a medical procedure designed to alleviate psychological disorder in which electric currents are passed through the brain, deliberately triggering a brief seizure
ECT has been used since the 1930s to treat severe depression
when it was first developed, it involved strapping the pateint to a table before the electricity was administered.
the patient was knocked out by the shock, went into severe convulsions, and woke up later without memory of what happened
ECT is used only in the most severe cases when all other treatments have failed
NOW, the patient is given muscle relaxants and a general anesthesia, precisely calculated electrical currents are used to achieve the most benefit with fewest possible risks
ECT is very effective
about 80% of people who undergo three sessions of ECT report dramatic relief
ECT reduces suicidal thoughts
the positive effects of ect do not always last
over one half of patients who undergo the procedure relapse within one year
ECT may cause short term memory loss or cognitive impairment
transcranial magnetic stimulation : a medical procedure designed to reduce psychological disorder that uses a pulsing magnetic coil to electrically stimulate the brain
TMS works by activating neural circuits in the prefrontal cortex causing an elevation of mood
Tms can be performed without sedation, does not cause seizures or memory loss, and may be effective as ECT
TMS has also been used to treat Parkinsons and Schizophrenia
psychosurgery : surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in the hope of improving disorder
psychosurgery is reserved for the most severe cases
the most well known psychosurgery is the prefrontal lobotomy
developed in 1935 by Egas Moniz
developed in order to treat severe phobias and anxiety
the procedure destroys the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain
the procedure left many patients in worse condition than before
the most notable failure was Rosemary Kennedy
there are very few centers that conduct psychosurgery
the ability to more accurately image and localize brain structures using modern neuroimaging techniques suggests that new, more accurate, and more beneficial developments in psychosurgery may soon be available
In summary :
psychosurgery is a procedure that removes or destroys brain tissue that is used hardly ever
TMS is a procedure where a magnetic coil electrically stimulates the brain that is used to treat severe depression and schizophrenia
ECT is a procedure where a brief seizure is induced by electric currents that is used to treat severe depression