Biological Approach

• What are the three assumptions

  Evolutionary Influences

  Localisation of brain function

  Neurotransmitters
• What is altruism

  Parents risking their lives to save their offspring
• What is evolution

  Explains how the human mind and behaviour have changed over millions of years
• Who explained natural selection

  Darwin
• What is natural selection 


  Genetically determined behaviour that enhances individuals chance of survival
• What are humans adapted to

  The demands of our individual environment
• what is environment of evolutionary adaptiveness

  The conditions present in the environment when a species adaptions were naturally selected
• What are the four lobes

  Occipital lobes

  Parietal lobes

  Frontal lobes

  Temporal lobes
• Evolutionary influences human example

  Fears and phobias

  e.g. Snakes

  venomous snakes significant threat to ancestors
• what are localisation of brain function

  Certain areas of the brain are responsible for different functions
• Parietal lobes

  Temperature

  Pain

  Touch
• Occipital lobes

  Visual processing
• Frontal lobes

  Thinking

  Creativity

  Personality
• Temporal lobes

  Auditory

  Memory
• Localisation of brain function - human example

  Occipital lobe - responsible for receiving and processing visual stimuli
• What are neurotransmitters

  Chemical messengers
• Explain neurotransmitters

  One neuron communicates with another neuron at a synapse where the message is relayed by chemical messengers
• Where are neurotransmitters released from

  The presynaptic vesicles
• What are neurons

  Electrically excitable cells that form the basis of the nervous system
• Neurotransmitters - human example

  Dopamine - motivation, reward and pleasure

  Release of dopamine in response to rewarding situation
• Benzodiazepines

  Enhance activity of GABA (natural form of anxiety relief)

  Slow down activity at central nervous system
• Beta-Blockers

  Reduce activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline (part of response to stress)
• Example of beta- blockers

  Propranolol - situational anxiety

  range from 10mg to 80mg
• Antidepressants

  Reduce rate of reabsorption or block the enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitters

  Increase amount of neurotransmitter available to excite neighbouring cells
• What is depression due to

  Insufficient amounts of neurotransmitters such as serotonin being produced in the nerve endings
• Example of antidepressant

  SSRI most common

  e.g. Prozac

  20mg per day

  60mg maximum
• Conventional antipsychotics

  Stronger

  Combat Positive symptoms

  Block action of dopamine in brain by binding to dopamine receptors
• Atypical antipsychotics 


  Weaker bond

  Temporarily occupying dopamine receptors and then rapidly dissociating to allow normal dopamine transmission
• thornely et al (evaluate drug therapy)

  Chlorpromazine associated with better functioning than a placebo

  positive effect on schizophrenic patients
• NICE - drug therapy

  Approve

  cost effective

  available through NHS

  accessible for more people

  antipsychotics control hallucination and delusions
• Side effects of SSRI

  Nausea

  Headache

  Insomnia
• Side effects of tricylic antidepressants

  Hallucinations

  Irregular heartbeat
• Issue of side effects

  Discourage patients

  Decrease quality of life
• Compare with psychodrama

  Drug therapy - immediate effects, cheap

  Psychodrama - time consuming - cannot be used in emergency
• How many participants were in Raine’s study

  41 participants
• What was the mean age of participants in Raine’s study

  34.3
• What were the disorders of the participants

  Schizophrenia - 6

  History of head injury or organic brain damage - 23

  History of psychoactive drug abuse - 3

  Affective disorder - 2

  Epilepsy - 2

  History of hyperactivity and learning disability - 3

  Personality disorder - 2
• What was the control group

  Matching each murderer with individual of same sex and age
• What was step 1

  Participants given chance to practice continuous performance task (CPT) before receiving FDG injection
• What was step 2 


  30 seconds before FDG injection, participants started CPT task