AO1 - Biological Treatment for OCD

• 1. Drug therapy is a biological treatment for OCD - it works by balancing levels of the neurotransmitters in the brain in order to relieve symptoms of OCD
• 2. One drug used is an anti-depressant known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's)
• 3. SSRI's are a serotonin agonist - they increase serotonin activity levels by blocking the re-absorption of serotonin to the pre-synaptic neuron, increasing serotonin activity levels in the synapse, so it continues to activate the post-synaptic neuron
• 4. These drugs have been shown to reduce anxiety associated with OCD
• 5. SSRI's usually take around 3-4 months to alleviate symptoms of OCD and the dosage can vary from person to person
• 6. In the past few years, a different class of anti-depressant drugs called SNRI's (serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) have been used to treat OCD - these increase levels of serotonin and noradrenaline activity and can be used if SSRI's have not been effective