Myers EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY 6th Edition in Modules

1
Myers EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (6th Edition in
Modules)

• Module 42
• The Biomedical Therapies
• James A. McCubbin, PhD
• Clemson University
• Worth Publishers

2
Drug Therapies

• Psychopharmacology
• study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior

3
Drug Therapies

• The emptying of U.S. mental hospitals

4
Antipsychotic Medication

• Usually works by blocking dopamine receptors.
• Most effective in treating positive psychotic
  symptoms.
• Work by decreasing responses to irrelevant
  stimuli.
• The newer atypical antipsychotic medications
  such as clozapine may be effective on some
  negative symptoms, or may work on positive
  symptoms for patients who do not respond to the
  dopamine blockers.
• Clozapine (Clorazil) and drugs like it work by
  blocking dopamine and serotonin activity.

5
Anti-anxiety Medication

• Generally works by decreasing activity in the
  Central Nervous System.
• Drugs such as Valium and Xanax decrease CNS
  activity and should not be combined with alcohol.
• Alcohol and anti-anxiety drugs potentiate each
  other (increase one anothers effects).
• Anti-anxiety medications are frequently used in
  combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy to
  change attitudes and behavior regarding
  threatening stimuli.

6
Antidepressant Medication

• Most work by blocking reuptake of serotonin so
  that more stays active in the brain (Prozac,
  Paxil, Zoloft).
• These drugs are called SSRIs (Selective Serotonin
  Reuptake Inhibitors) and they inhibit the
  reuptake of some serotonin, so more is received
  by its appropriate receptor sites and stays
  active in the brain.
• Some antidepressants also increase the
  availability of norepinephrine (Effexor).
• Wellbutrin works by increasing the availability
  of dopamine, which is necessary for the
  experience of pleasure.
• Wellbutrin has a lower incidence of sexual side
  effects
• The MAOIs are a less commonly used class of drugs
  that work by decreasing the rate at which
  serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine are broken
  down by the body, so that more stays active in
  the brain.
• The MAOIs have more common and serious side
  effects.

7
SSRIs
8
Mood-Stabilizing Medication

• Lithium is the most commonly used
  mood-stabilizing drug for bipolar disorder.
• Can have deadly side-effects so patients must be
  closely monitored.
• Basically a salt researchers are not sure why it
  works.
• Bipolar patients may also take anticonvulsant
  medications such as Depakote, particularly if
  their condition is difficult to treat.

9
Drug Therapies
10
Biomedical Therapies

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
• therapy for severely depressed patients in which
  a brief electric current is sent through the
  brain of an anesthetized patient.
• Causing memory loss for hours just before
  treatment.
• No one knows why it works
• Effective in depression that does not respond to
  drugs
• Works more quickly than drug therapies.
• Psychosurgery
• surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in
  an effort to change behavior
• lobotomy
• now-rare psychosurgical procedure once used to
  calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients
  

11
Electroconvulsive Therapy