Lecture 23: Psychological Disorders lll Flashcards
ocd is characterized by
obsessions and compulsions
Obsessions
repeatedly having certain thoughts
Compulsions
a need to repeatedly check things or repeatedly perform certain routines to an extent that it causes distress & impairs general functioning
4 groups of ocd symptoms
Symmetry, cleaning, hoarding, forbidden thoughts
prevalence of ocd
affects ~1% of the population
prevalence in ocd in men vs. women
Slightly more prevalent in women. Diagnosis is typically earlier in men: occurs in adulthood for women but in adolescence for men
when do ocd symptoms typically start?
before age 25 in both sexes
do adults with ocd understand that their behaviours are abnormal?
Most adults with OCD realize that their behaviours don’t make sense but feel the need to act as though they do
causes of ocd are
genetic and environmental
what % variability do gene variations account for in ocd
50% of the variability
ocd is associated with damage to ____
the loop in the frontal lobe between the PFC and the basal ganglia
treatment for ocd
a version of CBT called exposure and response prevention
exposure and response prevention
Involves increasing exposure to what causes the problems while not allowing the repetitive behaviour to occur
do pharmacological approaches work for ocd?
sometimes ssris are used, but usually exposure and response prevention is better
ocd can appear after damage to what brain regions
the basal ganglia, cingulate gyrus, or PFC
ocd is associated with increased activity in what brain region
the frontal lobes and striatum
cingulotomy
the cutting of a fibre bundle between the PFC and the anterior cingulate cortex
cingulotomy is used for what condition
ocd
adhd
A mental disorder characterized by problems paying attention, hyperactivity, or difficulty controlling behaviour in an age-appropriate manner
what % of North American children are being treated for adhd
More than 5%
when do adhd symptoms appear?
before age 12
symptoms of adhd
Reckless and impetuous behaviour
Acting without reflecting
Being distracted by interfering activities while performing an ongoing task
Difficulty withholding a response
adhd in boys vs girls
Boys are diagnosed 3x more than girls
comorbidity of adhd
Often associated with aggression, conduct disorder, learning disabilities, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem
estimated heritability for adhd
ranges from 75-91%
both ocd & adhd are associated with
previous infections or brain trauma
what prenatal factors are associated with adhd
Drug and alcohol use and infections during pregnancy, and low birth weight,