Drug therapy for treating depression To explain how drugs work to treat depression and to evaluate this method

Starter Recap last lesson

Application: the development of treatments By learning about how depression works and what causes it, we are able to create therapies and medications to treat it. Sometimes, treatments are discovered by accident, such as anti- psychotic medication. These were used at first as an anti-histamine, which decreased the body’s response to things that can cause an allergic reaction, and by accident they were found to reduce the symptoms of psychosis. Other treatments are psychologically based and involve the client changing their perspective on their illness and how they react, such as with cognitive behavioural therapy for treating depression.

The use of anti-depressants to treat depression This clip identifies the role of serotonin in depression – identify the role of serotonin. The clip then discusses how anti-depressants work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D3IlIcqny4 – Answer the following questions while watching: What do antidepressants do to levels of serotonin? What is the most commonly used antidepressant? What do they block? What happens to the receiving neurons? Why do they have less side effects? What alternative treatments are there?

Drug therapy The most commonly used biological therapy for depression is drug therapy. This therapy assumes that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain This can be corrected by drugs, which either increase or decrease the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Drugs: The use of anti-depressants to treat depression Some depressants may be offered drug therapy – antidepressants These drugs work by raising the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline which are thought to play a role in our mood Anti-depressants work by increasing the number of neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin or noradrenaline, which can help people feel less depressed. Anti-depressant medications such as SRRI’S work by preventing the serotonin being reabsorbed into the pre-synaptic neuron (this is where the serotonin is normally recycled to be used again). This leads to a build-up of neurotransmitters in the synapse (the gap between the two neurons) It is thought that the excess serotonin in the synapse helps the neurons communicate better, which in turn helps people feel less depressed.

Types of antidepressants Not all drugs used to treat depression work in the same way Some drugs are better for some patients All have a slightly different effect

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) These block the reuptake of serotonin when it is released from a neuron So serotonin can be available for longer So there is more opportunity for other neurons to absorb it which should increase levels in the brain and improving mood

SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) The standard medical treatment used to tackle the symptoms of depression are SSRIs SSRIs work on increasing certain neurotransmitter in the brain by preventing the re-absorption of serotonin. By preventing the re-absorption of serotonin, SSRIs effectively increase its levels in the synapse and thus continue to stimulate the post-synaptic neuron

Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) Similar effect to SSRIs but they block the reuptake of both serotonin and noradrenaline This helps to improve mood too

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) Prevent the enzyme monoamine oxidase from doing its job properly It breaks down serotonin and noradrenaline after they have been released from neurons but MAOIs make this more difficult to lift mood

Tricyclics (TCAs) Oldest drugs (1950s) Boost the effect of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain by preventing the reabsorption of these neurotransmitters into the neuron Enhances mood

Strengths and weaknesses Improve mood quickly Helps them to access other psychological therapies 50-65% of patients show improvement compared to only 20% who had a placebo Side effects Treats the symptoms and not the cause

Create your own medication box You have just started working for a large drugs company who has developed a new drug to treat depressions, they have asked you to design the box for marketing. 1) They are unsure what to call it and have asked for you to come up with a catchy name. 2) Design the box: make sure that you have a clear front cover, list of the kind of information you find on medication boxes.