1
Q
Andersen, et al (1994)
can be used on abnormal
A
Aim:
- The aim is to investigate self-efficacy and safety of selective serotonine reuptake inhibitor citalopram in treating post-stroke depression.
Design:
- Experimental method
- IV - SSRIs (they get the real treatment)
- DV - The Hamilton Depression Scale was used to measure amount of depression.
- Control group - sugar pills (Inert substance) placebo
Participants:
- 66 depressed, post-stroke, age 25-80,
- 2-25 weeks after stroke
- 33 people got placebo
- 33 people got citalopram
Procedure:
- 6 week double blind (neither researcher nor participants know who is in which condition)
- placebo- controlled trial was undertaken
- one group is given the real treatment and another an inert substance.
- UKU side effect rating scale used to measure unwanted side effects
Results:
- The result of the study showed that, independent of medicine given, half of treated patients recovered within1 month, after have had a stroke after 2 to 6 weeks.
- no serious side effects
- direct link btw serotonin and depression.
2
Q
Baumgartner (2008)
A
Aim:
- To investigate the role of oxytocin after breaches of trust in a trust game
Design:
49 males – two group
- IV: oxytocin, via nasal spray
- DV: rate of trust
- fMRI
- Control group – placebo
- Correlation positive – the more you do something the more it increases something
- Trust game
- 50% of game- trust broken by experimenter
- P1 investor- sum of money- kept or share with turstee
- if shared the sum was trippled (p2)
- sum either kept (violoation of tust) or shared again (trust)
- Correlation – link between the hormone oxytocin and trust
- More of oxytocin the more of a trusting person you became
Results:
- Participants who were given a placebo prior to playing the game decreased their rate of trust (that is how much money they were willing to invest) after they discovered their trust had been violated.
- Participants who received oxytocin, however, continued to invest at similar rates regardless of whether or not their trusting behaviour had been take advantage of.
- Participants in the oxytocin group showed decreases in responses in the amygdala. This region is involved in emotional processing and is rich in oxytocin receptors.
- Even the caudate nucleus showed decreased responses – associated with learning and memory.
- The neural results observed were only apparent when participants played the trust game, but not the risk game.
3
Q
Caspi (2003)
A
Aim:
- To investigate the possible role of the 5-HTT gene in depression after experiences of stressful events.
Theory:
- 5-HTT gene encodes the serotonin transporter protein and is thus acitve in the serotonin nerve pathways.
- the pathways are involved in controlling mood, emotion, sleep, anxiety, agression
- the protein encoded by 5-HTT gene is responsible for the reuptake of serotonin in the presynaptic clee after it has been released in the synaptic cleft
Design:
- Researchers compared participants with a normal 5-HTT gene and mutation of the 5-HTT gebe with shorter alleles.
- both types are quite frequent in humans but the long alleles is slighly more frequent (57%) compared to the short allele (43%)
- when participants were 26 years ol, evaluated if htey had experienced one or multiple stressful events and then whether or not they developed depression
- depression after stress was then related to the participants genotype
Results:
- Individuals having two short forms of alleles were most likely to become depressed after stressful events
Evaluation:
- large population 43% and 57% carry the mutation it can be difficult to cocnlude that hte gene is a major contribution to depression.
- study shows a correlation but no cause and effect
- not clear how environmental factors affect genes. Is it stress that affects the gene or the gene that affects the stress?
- more reaserch is needed.
