Treatments

• What are the treatments ?

  • drug therapy to alter the levels of neurotransmitters
• What are the 3 methods ?

  • antidepressants
  • tricyclics
  • anti- anxiety drugs
• How do antidepressants work ?

  • elevate mood
  • SSRI - selective aeration reuptake inhibitor
  • produce more activity in orbital region + caudate nuclei
  • Gilbert supported this treatment
  • stop seratonin leaving the synapse
  • e.g paroxetine
• How do tricyclics work ?


  Block seratonin and noradrenaline (linked to arousal, cognition and attention) from being absorbed

  • increase levels of both

  - however have side effects
• How do anti- anxiety drugs work ?


  e.g Valium

  • slow down activity in the CNS by increasing activity of neurotransmitter GABA (feel calm )
  • has a quietening effect on the neurons in the brain
• Evaluation ?

  1. julien
  2. treats into symptoms
  3. side effects
• julien ?

  • improvements of 50-80%
  • obsessions and compulsions not fully disappear but greatly reduce
• Symptoms only ?


  lose effect when stoping taking drugs

  • simprosm found a 45% relaps in 2 weeks