The Biomedical Therapies Unit 13 AP Psychology Module 73

Drug Therapies Most common biomedical treatments are drug therapies-> psychopharmacology (the study of drug effects on mind and behavior) has revolutionized the treatment of people with severe disorders and prevented many from hospital confinement. In many double- blind studies, some drugs have proven useful. ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS -Help patients with psychoses (hallucinations/delusions, etc) -Chlorpromazine (sold as Thorazine) dampens response to irrelevant stimuli -These drugs act similar to that of neurotransmitter : -Do have powerful side effects: -Other commonly prescribed: Risperidone (Risperdal) and Olanzapine (Zyprexa) MOOD STABILIZING MEDICATION -For those suffering from the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. -Lithium (a simple salt)

Drug Therapies Continued ANTIANXIETY DRUGS -Like alcohol, -These are used in combination with psychological therapy. -Can be addicting, and some argue popping these types of drugs at the first sight of tension may be detrimental- dont want to always have to take drugs when anxious -Now, most treat anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD more with antidepressants ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS - These drugs are “agonists”-they work to increase the availability of certain neurotransmitters like norepinephrine or serotonin, which elevate arousal and mood and appear scarce when people are feeling depressed. - -This group is typically called “SSRIs” or -Full psychological effect of these drugs take around: -Exercise, cognitive therapy along with taking these types of drugs -Some studies show for mild-moderate depression that placebos do as much as the actual medication

Brain Stimulation ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) Typically known as shock treatment. First was introduced in 1938 to a wide awake patient and produced convulsions and brief unconsciousness. Gained a barbaric image. Today, patients are under general anesthesia and they receive seconds of an electrical current. Within 30 minutes, patient awakens and doesnt remember anything. REPETITIVE TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (rTMS) Painless procedure that applies repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain to stimulate or suppress brain activity. No seizures or memory loss. How it works is unclear. Perhaps it stimulates the frontal lobe activity, which is relatively inactive in depressed people.

Psychosurgery PSYCHOSURGERY- surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue and is the most drastic and the least used biomedical intervention for changing behavior. LOBOTOMIES- Invented by Egas Moniz in the 1930s. Moniz found that cutting the nerves connecting the frontal lobes with the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain calmed uncontrollably emotional and violent patients. -> became an inexpensive procedure that took 10 minutes. Neurosurgeon would shock the patient into a coma, hammer an icepick-like instrument through each eye socket and wiggle it around to sever connections running up towards the frontal lobe. -> -> During 1950s: after 35,000 people had been lobotomized in the US alone, calming drugs were discovered and psychosurgery was abandoned. Today, psychosurgery only used in extreme cases, like to help those with severe seizures, etc.

Therapeutic Lifestyle Change REMINDER: A human being is an integrated biopsychosocial system! For years we have considered the health of our bodies and minds separately. That separation no longer seems valid. Stress effects body chemistry and health. And chemical imbalances, whatever the cause, can produce schizophrenia, depression, and other mental disorders STEPHEN ILARDI: hosts training sessions promoting Therapuetic Lifestyle Change. Big focus on getting back to the basics-> physical activity, strong community ties, sunlight exposure, plenty of sleep. People with these rarely suffer from depression. (like Amish farming communities in the US for example). Also promotes nutritional supplements like fish-oil supplements

Crash Course: #35 & #36 9w 3A 9w 3A