Effects of Psychotropic Drugs on the Developing Brain Research Paper

Introduction

Background of the study

Young children and adolescents do suffer from several psychological disorders. For instance, reports indicate that major depressive disorders (MDD) affect about 5 percent of the total population of adolescents in the United States. Depression is a severe problem among adolescents and it is characterized by alterations in moods, the behavior of the patients both at home and in school, impaired thinking among other disorders. Depression in children and adolescents can be treated by prescription of specific antidepressants. Current research indicates that physicians are recommending the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in the treatment of MDD (Glannon, 2007, p.76). SSRIs and SNRIs are psychotropic substances capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and exerting their effects by blocking the active reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine respectively. This lowers the concentration of these neurotransmitters that are taken up by the pre-synaptic membrane thereby increasing their concentration in the synaptic cleft and at the post-synaptic membrane. Therefore, these drugs can cause changes in the functions of the brain thereby leading to altered perceptions, consciousness, behavior, mood, and cognition.

This research paper seeks to explore the various effects of these drugs on the developing brain in children and adolescents. Additionally, the discussion will include an in-depth account of the risks and benefits of drug therapy for patients with major depressive disorders (MDD).

Effects of Psychotropic Drugs on the Developing Brain

The last 20 years have witnessed the discovery of new pharmacological substances imperative in regulating stress hormones inside and outside of the brain thereby producing desirable effects such as improved mood and cognition (Glannon, 2007, p.75). The number of patients with psychiatric complications especially among the youth is equally increasing thus necessitating the use of psychotropic drugs in treating MDD in children and adolescents. However, these drugs could have immediate and long-term effects on the developing brain.

The brain is very sensitive to drugs during the period of increased brain growth and development. This is the period that occurs within the first year of life in children and the transition period from childhood to adolescence. During this transition period, a vast number of synapses are eliminated through a process known as pruning, which is also accompanied by the development of abstract thoughts in adolescents. Since psychotropic drugs are capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, they can cause deviations in the development of the brain thus leading to permanent changes in some neurotransmitter pathways. Research has shown the active participation of two major neurotransmitters in brain growth and development. They include acetylcholine and serotonin whose concentration in the synaptic cleft can be influenced by psychotropic drugs.

The risks and benefits of Drug Therapy

Research has supported the efficacy and usage of SSRIs and SNRIs in the treatment of MDD in children and adolescents (Mash & Barkley, 2006, p.386). These drugs exert their effects by modulating the levels of neurotransmitters in the synaptic clefts of major neurons in the brain. By so doing, they normalize the levels of the neurotransmitters at the clefts thereby improving cognition, affective and voluntary activities. When psychological disorders are left unattended, they can lead to various mental problems that can have a bearing on the pathophysiological conditions of other parts of the body outside the brain.

Despite the vast benefits of psychotropic drugs in reversing the effects caused by psychological disorders, recent studies indicate that uncontrolled usage of such drugs can have various health risks for children and adolescents. The use of SSRIs and SNRIs has been shown to induce some suicidal tendencies among adolescents in the United States. This occurrence forced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue warnings in October 2004 about the increased cases of altered thoughts and behaviors among children and adolescents treated with SSRIs. By 2006, the age group affected by these drugs was expanded to include youth of up to age 25 as recommended by the advisory committee of FDA.

SSRIs acts by selectively blocking the 5-HT receptors for serotonin thereby increasing the concentration of serotonin in the synaptic cleft. Since serotonin is useful during brain development, it is advisable not to administer these drugs to children and pregnant mothers. Studies have shown the occurrence of severe brain damages in newborn babies when SSRIs are used on pregnant women especially during the last semester of pregnancy.

Effects of Psychotropic Medication on Neural Development

The development of the nervous system involves several changes in the structure of neurons. This takes place through a series of stages which include, “proliferation, migration, differentiation, myelination, and synaptogenesis” (Kalat, 2007, p.123). Proliferation is the first stage in the development and it involves the production of new cells that later divide and re-divide to give rise to neurons and glia. Since psychotropic drugs can access the site of cell proliferation, they cause a change to the cell’s genetic make-up thereby making a major difference in the outcome of the process. After the cells have been produced and divided, they have to migrate to other parts of the nervous system, a process that is dependent on certain chemical pathways. Since Psychotropic drugs can alter certain neurotransmitter pathways, they can influence the movement of these cells either negatively or in a useful manner.

Conclusion

The paper has elaborated on the major effects of psychotropic drugs on the developing brain in children and adolescents. It has also shown the positive and negative effects of drug therapy as opposed to psychotherapy in the treatment of psychological disorders such as major depressive disorders (MDD).

Despite the numerous advantages of drug therapy in the improvement of psychological disorders, it is worth noting that these drugs can have far-reaching side effects on the users especially children and adolescents. Therefore, patients should be careful about how they use the drugs to avoid unnecessary complications and the emergence of unusual diseases.

Reference List

1. Glannon, W. (2007). Bioethics and the brain. New York: Oxford University Press. Web.
2. Kalat, J. W. (2007). Biological psychology, 9^th edn. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.
3. Mash, E. J. & Barkley, R. A. (2006). Treatment of childhood disorders, 3^rd edn. New York: The Guilford Press.