Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: Phenothiazine, Lithium Carbonate, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Dr.Mike

Document Summary

Treatment of emotional or behavioural problems through psychological techniques. Typically used in conjunction with some form of talking therapy: patient may be too down to talk, may be suicidal. Brain surgery in the absence of obvious organic damage. Moniz (1935) reports a calming effect for prefrontal lobotomy. Patients become more docile, but also suffer lack of emotion or planning. Fibers connecting prefrontal lobes to limbic system: few side-effects can influence strategy choice, seems effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Should be used only as a last resort. Von meduna (earl 1900s: patients with epileptic seizures improved after attack, cerletti (1937) uses electricity rather than drugs to induce seizure. Brief (less than 1 second) electrical current applied to head. Wild firing of neurons results in seizure and convulsions. Today, patients are anesthetized and partially paralyzed prior to treatment. Right hemisphere only: eliminates convulsion, less damage to verbal memory. Can cause permanent brain damage even at low dosage.