A text titled biomedical therapies reads, Biomedical therapies use physical interventions to treat psychological disorders. These therapies can be categorized according to the method by which they influence the brain’s functioning:, chemical, electrical, or structural.
An illustration on the right shows a human face model held at the chin and forehead by a positioning frame. The brain inside is highlighted. A wire coil above the head sends pulsed magnetic field. A side view of the setup has a text pointing to the frame, reading Maximum field depth. An inset shows a magnetic field impacting and activating the neurons. The relevant text reads, Electrical:, Brain stimulation. Brain stimulation techniques can be used to relieve symptoms by affecting the electrical activity of the brain. Research on electroconvulsive therapy found a greater than 80% remission rate for those with severe major depression. Citation (, Fink, 2014). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (, r T M S), shown here, is a noninvasive procedure. A coil pulses a magnetic field that passes painlessly through scalp and bone, penetrating just to the outer cortex. The field induces electric current in nearby neurons, activating targeted regions in the brain. Citation (, National Institute of Mental Health, 2016).
Below, a text titled, Structural:, Neurosurgery reads, Modern surgical techniques are able to target a very precise area of the brain known to be directly involved in the condition being treated. For example, the black circles on these scans mark areas typically targeted for a form of surgery known as anterior cingulotomy, which has been shown to reduce symptoms in patients suffering severe cases of major depression. Citation (, Steele, Christmas, Elijamel, &and Matthews, 2008). Using radio frequencies emitted from a 6-millimeter probe, the surgeon destroys part of the anterior cingulate cortex, an area known to be associated with emotions. Citation (Faria, 2013). Three brain scan images are shown below.
A text titled, Chemical Psychotropic Medications reads, Drug therapies, which alter the brain’s chemistry, are the most commonly prescribed biomedical treatment. Each works to influence neurotransmitters thought to be associated with certain disorders. This illustration shows the action of a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or (S S R I s). Two pairs of sending neutrons and their corresponding receiving neutrons with receptors are shown. The serotonin cross across the synaptic gap.
Text below the first illustration reads, In normal communication between neurons, neurotransmitters released into the synaptic gap bind to the receiving neuron, sending a message. Excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the sending neurons through the process of reuptake. Text below the second illustration reads, As indicated by their name, S S R I s inhibit the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Allowed to remain longer in the synapse, serotonin can achieve a greater effect.