BIOLOGICAL THEORIES

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES
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TREATMENT
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TREATMENT

• BEFORE LOBOTOMY, ECT (SHOCK), COMA - NOW DRUGS
• CHANGE NEUROCHEMISTRY OF BRAIN
• CHANGE WHAT RECEPTORS ABSORB SO ELEVATE OR LOWER
  LEVELS OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN SYNAPSES

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TREATMENTS

• ANTI-PSYCHOTICS
• LITHIUM FOR BIPOLAR
• PHENOTHIAZINES AND CLOZAPINE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
• ILLNESS SPECIFIC

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SSRIS

• SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS - PROZAC,
  PAXIL, XOLOFT (LATE 1980S)

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SSRIS

• UNLIKE OLDER DRUGS, SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO
  PREVENT REUPTAKE OF SEROTONIN
• NOT ILLNESS SPECIFIC (NOT ANTI-DEPRESSANTS)

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HUGE GROWTH

• 10 OF ADULT POPULATION NOW TAKING AN SSRI
• 3 OF 7 BEST SELLING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS OF ANY
  KIND ARE SSRIs
• 300 INCREASE IN PAST 10 YEARS IN NUMBER OF
  CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS TAKING MEDICATION

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ARE SSRIS BETTER?

• NOT MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OLDER DRUGS
• FEWER NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS
• NOT ADDICTING
• LESS RISK OF OVERDOSE

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? ABOUT SSRIS

• NOT MUCH BETTER THAN PLACEBOS FOR LESS SEVERE
  CONDITIONS
• LONG-TERM EFFECTS?
• ONLY ELIMINATE SYMPTOMS, NOT UNDERLYING PROBLEM?
• BETTER ALTERNATIVES?
• NOT GOOD FOR UNDER AGE 18?

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STRENGTHS AND LIMITS
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STRENGTHS OF BIOLOGY

• BEST FOR PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS
• MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BRAIN
• ADVANCES IN DRUG TREATMENTS FOR MANY CONDITIONS

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LIMITATIONS
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1. OVERSTATEMENTS

• MOST CONVINCING FOR PSYCHOSES
• LESS EVIDENCE FOR OTHERS
• ARE BRAIN STATES CAUSES OR EFFECTS OF M.I.?
• CAUSES CAN BE SOCIAL OR PSYCH AS WELL AS
  BIOLOGICAL

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2. GENES NOT DESTINY

• ONLY A MINORITY OF PEOPLE WITH GENETIC
  SUSCEPTIBILITY DEVELOP DISORDER
• OFTEN NEED ENVIRONMENTAL PRECIPITANT
• ENVIRONMENT CAN SUPPRESS - MORMONS AND ALCOHOLISM

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3. WHAT DOES A GENE DO?

• DIFFERENCE OF GENOTYPE AND PHENOTYPE (APPEARANCE)
• CULTURE CAN SHAPE PHENOTYPE
• E.G. ANOREXIA
• GENES MAY HAVE GENERAL, NOT SPECIFIC, EFFECTS

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4. MOST M.I. NOT GENETIC

• MOST PEOPLE WHO GET A DISORDER DO NOT HAVE
  GENETIC PROPENSITY TO THE DISORDER

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SCHIZ. IN DENMARK

• THOSE WITH 1ST DEGREE RELATIVES HAVE 10x RATE OF
  SCHIZ
• BUT 90 OF PEOPLE WHO DO GET SCHIZ DONT HAVE
  SCHIZ RELATIVES
• FAR MORE PEOPLE HAVE NO FAMILY HISTORY OF SCHIZ
  SO DESPITE LOWER PRODUCE MORE CASES

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CONCLUSION

• GENES AND BRAINS ARE IMPORTANT
• BUT, FAR FROM THE ENTIRE STORY
• AT PRESENT, INFLUENCE IS OVERSTATED