T REATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA Biological approach By Annabel & Ethan

E XPLANATIONS FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA Genes are believed to be the reason for schizophrenia when looking at the biological approach. The genes that are passed down from our parents are the cause, meaning that if our parents suffer from schizophrenia, we are more likely to develop it. It also looks at the dopamine levels, and has been discovered that schizophrenics produce more dopamine or dopamine receptors than in a non- schizophrenic. This is known as the dopamine hypothesis. DtmlXl8nwhttp:// DtmlXl8nw

T REATMENTS AVAILABLE Electro-compulsive therapy, is one treatment available. It was originally thought that schizophrenia and epilepsy could not occur in the same person, therefore, inducing an epileptic fit, would cure the patient of schizophrenia. ECT was done after a medical examination is carried out, no food or drink must be consumed 6 hours before, and patients are put to sleep with barbitures, muscle relaxant to minimise the danger of physical injury and oxygen to stop brain damage.

T REATMENTS AVAILABLE ECT uses 2 electrodes that are attached to the patients head. An electrical current from 65 to 140V is passed through the brain for up to half a second. The current causes a convulsion which lasts from 25 seconds to a few minutes. The patient wakes up approx 10 minutes after the current was applied.

T REATMENTS AVAILABLE Another treatment is drug therapy. The first antipsychotic drugs, also known as neuroleptics, helped sedate the patient, and reduce the intensity and frequency of hallucinations and delusions and other behaviours. New antipsychotic drugs, fit into the dopamine receptors in the brain, blocking the dopamine and stopping it being onset of schizophrenia.

EVALUATIONS Strengths; ECT; compared with other with other treatments, ECT has a 60% to 90% success rate for psuchotic- depressive and manic patients. It can often be effective when anti-depressant drugs have failed. Drug therapy; drugs allow the patient to live in society.

E VALUATION Weaknesses; with ECT, there are ethical issues concerned. Since we do not know how, or indeed if, ECT works, it should not be used as it is usually used on patients not able to give consent because of their condition. ECT can also cause memory disruptions, some being minor short-term memory loss and some more severe including amnesia and an impaired ability to acquire new memories.

E VALUATION Weaknesses; Drug Therapy gives side effects, which could be enough to turn people off going through the treatment. If people don’t follow the drug routine, it acts as a barrier to the treatment, and can cause relapses and remitted to hospital. It cannot be seen as a cure, as they have to be kept on maintenance doses of the drug to maintain the thereputic effect.

A NOREXIA AND ITS TREATMENT Anorexia nervosa is a complex eating disorder with three key features: refusal to maintain a healthy body weight an intense fear of gaining weight a distorted body image

A NOREXIA AND ITS TREATMENT There are two types of anorexia: In the restricting type of anorexia, weight loss is achieved by restricting calories (following drastic diets, fasting, and exercising to excess). In the purging type of anorexia, weight loss is achieved by vomiting or using laxatives and diuretics

B IOLOGICAL C AUSES O F A NOREXIA Research suggests that a genetic predisposition to anorexia may run in families. Siblings of anorexics are times more likely to develop anorexia themselves. People with anorexia tend to have high levels of cortisol, the brain hormone most related to stress, and decreased levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, which are associated with feelings of well-being.

A NOREXIA AND ITS TREATMENTS Treating anorexia involves three steps: Getting back to a healthy weight Starting to eat more food Changing how you think about yourself and food

A NOREXIA T REATMENTS Stabilizing any serious health issues. Hospitalization until a patient reach a less critical weight may be necessary if they are dangerously malnourished Nutritional counselling. A nutritionist or dietician will teach patients about healthy eating and proper nutrition. also they help patients develop and follow meal plans that include enough calories to reach or maintain a normal, healthy weight. Goal counselling. identifying the negative thoughts and feelings that fuel the patient’s eating disorder and replace them with healthier, less distorted beliefs.