Neural Explanations (OCD)

Question 1

What dies neural mechanisms refer to?

Answer 1

regions of the brain, structures such as neurons and the neurotransmitters involved in sending messages through the nervous system

Question 2

What is the prefrontal cortex involved with?

Answer 2

decision making and the regulation of primitive aspects of our behavior. An over active PFC, causing an exaggerated control of primal impulses

Question 3

What happens to the PFC when you have performed the appropriate behaviour?

Answer 3

PFC reduces in activation and you stop washing your hands and go about your day
It has been suggested that if you have OCD, your PFC is over activated. This means the obsessions and compulsions continue, leading you to wash your hands again and again.

Question 4

What can an imbalance of serontonin be ralted to?

Answer 4

OCD

Reduced serontonin and excessive dopamine

Question 5

What does serotonin regulate?

Answer 5

Mood

OCD patients have low levels of serontonin

Question 6

What have high levels of dopamine been thought to influence?

Answer 6

concentration

Question 7

What did Salloway & Duffy 2002 find?

Answer 7

The brains of OCD patients are structured and function differently from those of other people. Brain scans of OCD patients reliably show increased activity in the PFC

Question 8

What are the issues with relating low serotonin and OCD?

Answer 8

Whether low serotonin causes OCD is unknown. All that’s known is that low serotonin and OCD are related. It is difficult to establish whether the low levels of neurotransmitters cause OCD, are an effect of having the disorder, or are merely associated. Causation cannot be inferred as only associations(i.e. correlations) have been identified.