Behavioral, Emotional And Cognitive Characteristics Of OCD

Question 1

Categories of OCD

Answer 1

OCD- characterised by obsessions or compulsions
Trichofillomanical- compulsive hair pulling
Hoarding disorder- compulsive gathering of possessions and the inability to part with anything
Excoriation disorder- compulsive skin picking

Question 2

Cognitive characteristics of ocd

Answer 2

Obsessive thoughts

Question 3

Behavioural characteristics

Answer 3

Compulsions: unwelcome thoughts, images, urges worries that repeat on your mind

Question 4

Emotional characteristics

Answer 4

Anxiety and distress: the urge to repeat a behaviour
Accompanying depression: low mood as linked with depression
Guilt and disgust: irrational guilty

Question 5

Cycle of ocd

Answer 5

Obssesions~ anxiety- compulsions- relief

Question 6

Biological approach to explaining ocd
Genetic explanation

Answer 6

Tukel et al found that low levels of the COMT gene led to higher levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, higher levels of dopamine are associated with stereotyped movements which may manifest themselves as compulsions in OCD

another gene is the SERT gene also called 5-HTT this gene is involved in the transport of serotonin, low levels of serotonin are also implicated in OCD

Question 7

Neural explanations for OCD

Answer 7

Evidence from PET scans shows that people have abnormality within their brains, the orbitofrontal cortex sends signals to the thalamus about potential worries eg germ alert, normally these are suppressed by the caudate nucleus. If the caudate nucleus is damaged the worry is not surprised and the thalamus is alerted and confirms the worry to the ofc which creates a worry circuit

Serotonin and dopamine are linked to these regions of the frontal lobe and are implicated in the malfunction of the caudate nucleus. Sukel found that the main neurotransmitter of the basal ganglia is dopamine and high levels of dopamine lead to over activity in this area

Question 8

Biological treatments for OCD

Answer 8

Gava et al found the most common treatment for OCD was drugs, antidepressants also known as SSRIs. These work by blocking serotonin receptor sites on neurons and therapy increasing the amount of serotonin in the synapse.

Tricyclics work on both serotonin and noradrenaline

Anti- anxiety drugs- diazepam, valium etc are used to treat depression

Combining SSRI’s with other treatments like CBT treat OCD