ocd Flashcards
behavioural characteristics of OCD are
compulsions, avoidance of anxiety-inducing situations, reduction in social interactions
emotional characteristics of OCD are
anxiety, depression developed
cognitive characteristics of OCD are
obsessions, sufferer understands that they are irrational
the genetic explanation says that OCD is
inherited
OCD often have - genes
COMT and SERT
the COMT gene controls
dopamine levels
Tukel (2013) found that
high levels of dopamine were common in OCD sufferers
what is serotonin’s function
to regulate anxiety
the SERT gene controls
the transport of serotonin
Ozaki (2003) found that
OCD sufferers may have a SERT mutation leading to lower serotonin levels
the neural explanation for OCD explains how
neurotransmitter levels lead to OCD
dopamine levels are - and serotonin levels are - in OCD sufferers
high, low
high activity levels in the - of the brain are associated with OCD
orbital frontal cortex (OFC)
the function of the OFC is to
send worry signals to the thalamus, leading to an impulse to act
the function of the caudate nucleus is to
suppress impulses from the OFC
the caudate nucleus may not be functioning, meaning that
OCD could be caused as sufferers have overactive impulses for minor threats
comer (1998) found that
serotonin levels can cause these areas of the brain to malfunction
pauls (2005)
found that 10% of OCD sufferers have a 1st degree relative with OCD