PSYC 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 54: Psychosurgery, Electroconvulsive Therapy, Electromagnetic Coil

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1000
• Professor: Dan Meegan

Document Summary

Biomedical therapy: prescribed medications or procedures that act directly on the person"s physiology. Psychopharmacology: the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behaviour. Antipsychotic drugs: drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought disorder. Occupies the receptor sites of dopamine to block its activity. Antianxiety drugs: drugs used to control anxiety and agitation. Common criticism of antianxiety drugs is that they reduce symptoms but do not resolve underlying problems. The immediate relief reinforces a person"s tendency to take drugs when anxious (can cause a physiological dependence) Antidepressant drugs: drugs used to treat depression and some anxiety disorders. Different types work by altering the availability of various neurotransmitters. Function by increasing the availability of norepinephrine or serotonin, neurotransmitters that elevate arousal and mood and appear scare during depression. Electroconvulsive therapy (ect): a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient.