PS101 Lecture Notes - Electroconvulsive Therapy, Lithium Carbonate, Epileptic Seizure
Document Summary
Contemporary view alternates between mental disorders as diseases (mental treatment) & emotional problems (psychological treatment) Drug treatments on the rise with growing recognition of biological and genetic components to disorders: medications that alter the production of or response to neurotransmitters in the brain. Drugs used primarily in the treatment of schizophrenia & other psychotic disorders. Most designed to clock or reduce the sensitivity of brain receptors that respond to dopamine. Side effects such as muscular rigidity, tremors, and involuntary muscle movement (tardive dyskinesia) Drugs used primarily in the treatment of mood disorders, especially depression & anxiety. Three classes: monoamine oxidase inhibitors (maois, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ssris) Anti-anxiety drugs (tranquilizers: drugs commonly but often inappropriately prescribed for patients who complain of unhappiness, anxiety or worry, useful as short-term treatment of panic disorder. Lithium carbonate: drug frequently given to people suffering from bipolar disorder (moderates norepinephrine and stops overstimulation from glutamate) Cautions/ limitations about drug treatments: the placebo effect.
