PSYC 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Heritability, Chlorpromazine, Lorazepam

• School: UBC
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 102
• Professor: Tanya Salamander

Document Summary

17th century: madness and league with the devil, torture, hanging, burning, sent to sea. 18th century: mentally disordered and degenerates, keep them away from society. 19th century: mental hospital release was possible, mental asylums in the us. 3 classes of medications: anti-anxiety agents: anxiety disorders, phobias, ptsd, anti-depressants: depression, anti-psychotics: schizophrenia, psychotic disorders. Brain chemicals that communicate information between nerve cells. Increase of action potential: dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine. Inhibitory: decrease of action potential, serotonin, gaba, dopamine. Side effects: dry mouth, constipation, sexual dysfunction, drowsiness, blurred vision, increased heart rate: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ssris) As effective as tricyclics but with fewer side effects (headaches, nausea, and low sex drive) 55-70% reduction of symptoms: serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (nsris) Mood stabilizers: treatment is the most effective when continuous and for mania. Lithium: effective for manic phases, unclear how it works, side effects: dehydration and seizures. Anticonvulsants: used for epilepsy and migraines. Biological influences of anxiety disorders: the serotonin transporter gene.