18. The Biological Approach To Treating OCD AO1

Question 1

What is the main way to treat OCD?

Answer 1

Drug therapies

Question 2

What is the aim of a drug therapy?

Answer 2

For mental health disorders drug therapy aims to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or to increase/decrease their activity

Question 3

How are serotonin and OCD linked?

Answer 3

Low levels of serotonin are associated it with OCD

Question 4

How did drugs therapies work in regard to serotonin?

Answer 4

Jokes work in various ways to increase the level of serotonin in the brain

Question 5

What is a SSRI?

Answer 5

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

Question 6

What is the role of an SSRI?

Answer 6

They prevent the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin in the brain

Question 7

What does an SSRI preventing the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin in the brain do

Answer 7

Iincreases its levels in the signups and therefore serotonin continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron

Question 8

What compensates for the issues with the serotonin system in OCD?

Answer 8

And SSRI increases its levels in the signups and therefore serotonin continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron

Question 9

What is the typical does for fluoxetine?

Answer 9

20mg although it can be increased if it is not benefitting the patient

Question 10

Give an example of an SSRI and the dose it is taken in

Answer 10

Fluoxetine 20mg

Question 11

How long does it take for an SSRI to have an impact upon symptoms?

Answer 11

3-4 months

Question 12

What are drugs often used alongside to treat OCD?

Answer 12

CBT

Question 13

Outline the process of combining SSRI’s with CBT

Answer 13

Did drugs reduce a patient’s emotional symptoms, such as feeling anxious or depressed which means that patients can engage more effectively with CBT

Question 14

What is an alternative to SSRI’s

Answer 14

Tricyclics

Question 15

What is a tricyclic?

Answer 15

An older type of antidepressants

Question 16

Give an example of a tricyclic

Answer 16

Clomipramine

Question 17

What effects do tricyclics have?

Answer 17

Do you have the same affect on the serotonin system as SSRI’s but the side-effects can be more severe

Question 18

Name to alternatives to SSRI’s

Answer 18

• Tricyclics

- SNRI’s

Question 19

What has been developed in the last five years?

Answer 19

A different class of antidepressant drugs called serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) has been used to treat OCD

Question 20

What are SNRI’s used for?

Answer 20

There are second line of defence for patients who don’t respond to SSRI’s

Question 21

What do SNRI’s increase?

Answer 21

Levels of serotonin as well as noradrenaline