Treating OCD - Biological approach

Created by

Emily Carroll

Cards (10)

For many patients drugs remain an easy and accessible means of dealing with their obsessions and compulsions
Drug therapy is currently the most used treatment for OCD
Drug therapy - Treatment involving drugs
i.e chemicals that have a particular effect on the functioning of the brain or some other body system
In the case of psychological disorders such drugs usually affect neurotransmitter levels
Low levels of serotonin are associated with OCD
Therefore drugs to treat OCD work in various ways to increase the level of serotonin in the brain
SSRIs:
The standard medical treatment used to tackle the symptoms of OCD involves a particular type of antidepressant drug called a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)
How SSRIs work:
Brain sends an impulse → arrives at synapse → serotonin needed to move it across the synaptic gap → so serotonin is released → attempts to be reabsorbed by presynaptic cell → BUT SSRIs stop reabsorption → serotonin starts to increase as it is not being broken down or reabsorbed
Serotonin system:
Serotonin is released by the presynaptic neurons and travels across a synapse. The neurotransmitter chemically conveys the signal from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron and then it is reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron where it is broken down and reused
By preventing the reabsorption and breakdown, SSRIs effectively increase levels of serotonin in the synapse and thus continue to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron
Neurotransmitters - Transmit messages across the synapse
Alternatives to SSRIs
Antidepressant: Tricyclics
Block the transporter mechanism that reabsorbs both serotonin and noradrenaline into the presynaptic cell after it has fired
As a result, more of these neurotransmitters are left in the synapse, prolonging their activity, and easing transmission of the next impulse
Advantage of Tricyclics:
Target more than one neurotransmitter
Disadvantage of Tricyclics:
Greater side effects than SSRIs