An introductory text 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.
Structural: Neurosurgery. Text 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 with severe cases of major depression (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.
An illustration shows scanned right medial section of brain with a small ovoid structure on the corpus callosum; posterior section of brain with a small ovoid structure each close to central fissure of the brain; and superior section of brain with a small ovoid structure on each hemisphere.
Electrical: Brain stimulation. Text reads, 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 percent remission rate for those with severe major depression (Fink, 2014). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (r T M S), shown here, in 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 currents in nearby neurons, activating targeted regions in the brain (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016).
An illustration shows front and side view of a human model with the brain highlighted. The illustration shows the forehead of the human model supported by a positioning frame. A wire coil is placed right above the head. Pulsed magnetic field is generated by the wire coil. An enlarged view of the brain shows activated neurons and resting neurons highlighted between the magnetic field lines. Another illustration depicts the side view of the human model with wire coil over the brain; an outline on the upper curvature of the brain marks the maximum field depth.
Chemical: Psychotropic Medications. Text reads, drug therapies, which after 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 (S S R I’s).
Two illustrations are shown. The first illustration depicts the terminal end of an axon at the top labeled sending neuron and the end at the bottom labeled receiving neurons. Elliptical structures on the surface of the receiving neurons are labeled receptor. The gap between the sending and receiving neuron is labeled synaptic gap. The process by which small spherical structures move back into the sending neuron is labeled normal neurotransmitter reuptake. A callout below 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. In the second illustration, the small spherical structures released by the sending neurons are labeled serotonin. Small T-shaped structures that block the entry of the small spherical structures into the sending neurons are labeled S S R I. A callout below 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.