NEURONS

NEUROCHEMISTRY NEURONS (BRAIN CELLS) RELEASE NEUROTRANSMITTERS (CHEMICALS THAT COMMUNICATE BETWEEN NEURONS) INTO SYNAPSES - GAP BETWEEN NEURONS RECEPTORS - ABSORB CHEMICALS

NEUROCHEMISTRY (CONT.) MENTAL ILLNESSES CAN ARISE FROM MALFUNCTIONING RECEPTORS TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE OF VARIOUS NEUROTRANSMITTERS

MAJOR NEUROCHEMICALS SEROTONIN - LOW LEVELS MAY BE RELATED TO DEPRESSION AND MANY OTHER MENTAL ILLNESSES DOPAMINE - HIGH LEVELS MAY BE RELATED TO SCHIZOPHRENIA NOREPINEPHRINE - HIGH LEVELS MAY BE RELATED TO ANXIETY

?s ARE NEUROCHEMICAL ABNORMALITIES CAUSES OR EFFECTS OF M.I.? RESULTS OF USING MEDICATION? NO EVIDENCE YET THAT GENETIC/BIOLOGICAL CAUSES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS

TREATMENT BEFORE LOBOTOMY, ECT (SHOCK), COMA - NOW DRUGS CHANGE NEUROCHEMISTRY OF BRAIN CHANGE WHAT RECEPTORS ABSORB SO ELEVATE OR LOWER LEVELS OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN SYNAPSES

TREATMENTS ANTI-PSYCHOTICS PHENOTHIAZINES AND CLOZAPINE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA LITHIUM FOR BIPOLAR MOST ARE ILLNESS SPECIFIC

SSRI’S SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS - PROZAC, PAXIL, XOLOFT (LATE 1980’S) UNLIKE OLDER DRUGS ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT REUPTAKE OF SEROTONIN NOT ILLNESS SPECIFIC (NOT “ANTI- DEPRESSANTS”)

HUGE GROWTH 10% OF ADULT POPULATION NOW TAKING AN SSRI 3 OF 7 BEST SELLING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS OF ANY KIND ARE SSRI’s 300% INCREASE IN PAST 10 YEARS IN NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS TAKING MEDICATION

ARE SSRI’S BETTER? NOT MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OLDER DRUGS FEWER NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS (ALTHOUGH POSSIBLY MORE SUICIDE RISK) NOT ADDICTING LESS RISK OF OVERDOSE

DOWNSIDE OF SSRI’S NOT MUCH BETTER THAN PLACEBOS FOR LESS SEVERE CONDITIONS LONG-TERM EFFECTS? ONLY ELIMINATE SYMPTOMS, NOT UNDERLYING PROBLEM? BETTER ALTERNATIVES? NOT GOOD FOR UNDER AGE 18?

STRENGTHS OF BIOLOGY BEST FOR PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BRAIN ADVANCES IN DRUG TREATMENTS FOR MANY CONDITIONS