OCD Flashcards

Question

disadvantage of neural explanations

Answer 1

CAUSE and EFFECT - neurotransmitters might not necessarily CAUSE ocd - instead, low serotonin + high dopamine might be the EFFECT of ocd - so, we must be cautious when looking at cause & effect of neurotransmitters

Answer 2

ocd is co morbid w DEPRESSION (exists alongside it) - therefore, it's NOT CLEAR whether low levels of serotonin cause ocd, depression or both - so, the link between low levels of serotonin causing ocd is not very clear and needs to be INVESTIGATED FURTHER

Answer 3

research conducted by Ciccerone (2000) - found that giving ocd patients low does of the drug Risperidone helped to LOWER DOPAMINE levels — and alleviate some of the ocd symptoms - so, high levels of dopamine could be a biological cause for ocd

Answer 4

Menzies (2007) suggested research evidence - that would support a genetic link to abnormal levels of neurotransmitters - studied MRI scans in ocd patients AND their immediate family members — compared them w healthy controls - found that ocd patients & their families had REDUCED grey matters in key regions of the brain — &they had an UNUSUAL neuroanatomy - concluded that ocd CAN be caused by ABNORMAL brain structure — which could be inherited via genes

Answer 5

role of DOPAMINE causing ocd has been QUESTIONED - it's been found that high levels of dopamine can also cause OTHER psychological illnesses (not just ocd) — eg bipolar depression + schizophrenia - so, not enough research evidence to suggest high dopamine can cause ocd to occur - a COMBINATION of factors might be responsible

Answer 6

might be a relationship between ocd being caused by some types of brain damage which might be caused by a virus - brain damage may cause a problem in STM that causes a chain reaction — person doubting whether they have performed certain actions - might then result in repetitive behaviour

Answer 7

PET scans - patients w cleaning obsession were shown something dirty - evidence found that the frontal lobes and basal ganglia were the most active parts of the brain — basal ganglia might be overactive & seems to malfunction in ocd sufferers

Answer 8

series of interconnected brain structures at the front of the brain - near the orbital frontal cortex — which also seems to be overactive in ocd patients - BG is responsible for control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, habit learning, eye movements, cognition, and emotion — overactive BG can lead to repetitive motor functions

Answer 9

- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - eg Prozac and Fluoxetine - drug aims to PREVENT REUPTAKE of serotonin and PROLONG its ACTIVITY in the synapse - person will feel less anxious and have HIGHER serotonin levels - prescribed for 12-16 weeks

Answer 10

'worry circuit', whereby damage to the CAUDATE NUCLEUS in the brain fails to suppress minor worry signals — message then sent to orbital frontal cortex, worrying gets worse

Answer 11

helps regulate mood & reduce anxiety levels - inc. serotonin via SSRI drugs will also help to normalise and reduce the 'worry circuit' - high serotonin helps the orbital frontal cortex to function at normal levels - helps stabilise moods and emotions and improve memory — so, it will reduce compulsive behaviour and checking

Answer 12

selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors - new type of drug - inc. serotonin and noradrenaline / norepinephrine - suitable for ocd patients that can't tolerate ssri drugs

Answer 13

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE that they're an effective treatment - soomro (2009) reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRIs to placebo drugs - found that all studies showed SSRIs were more effective than placebos - especially when combines w CBT

Answer 14

RELATIVELY EFFECTIVE - 70% of patients have experienced a DECLINE in ocd SYMPTOMS when taking them - however, remaining 30% tend to opt or psychological therapies — or a combination of SSRIS and therapy - might mean that the drugs are most effective if COMBINED w other treatments

Answer 15

relatively CHEAP and COST EFFECTIVE - in comparison to psychological therapies (cbt) - good value for money for the NHS, and is economical (compared to other treatments)

Answer 16

they DON'T WORK for ALL patients - for some patients, the drug will not alleviate their ocd symptoms - they'll have to take another drug instead which might be more effective (eg tricyclics)

Answer 17

terrible SIDE EFFECTS - might mean that the patient stops taking them - effects are temporary - include indigestion, blurred vision, loss of sex drive

Answer 18

Koran (2007) stated that drug therapy might be common/popular BUT PSYCHOTHERAPIES should be tried FIRST - eg CBT - drug therapy requires little effort — might be effective short term - but it doesn't provide a LASTING CURE - many patients relapse within a few weeks if the medication is stopped

Answer 19

- Benzodiazepines - eg valium and xanax - help reduce anxiety - aim to control the action of neurotransmitters - reduce activity in the CNS and reduce brain arousal - reduce blood pressure and reduce heart rate

Answer 20

GABA = neurotransmitter in the brain - slows down the firing of neurons - makes the person less anxious & calmer - helps reduce psychological activity in the body

Answer 21

- BZ drugs BIND to the GABA RECEPTOR SITE of the post synaptic neuron - this increases the flow of CHLORIDE IONS into the POST SYNAPTIC NEURON — makes it more difficult for the neuron to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters — thus SLOWING down its activity & making the person feel more RELAXED - neurons in the brain become LESS ACTIVE - feels calmer

Answer 22

neuron that receives the signal (from a synapse)

Answer 23

SEROTONIN - means that the person has lower arousal and reduces anxiety - BUT = less happy - more likely to get depressed

Answer 24

very EFFECTIVE at reducing anxiety & ocd symptoms - used by millions of people worldwide - so they're very good at reducing anxiety & ocd on a GLOBAL BASIS

Answer 25

work very QUICKLY & effectively to cure ocd symptoms - compared to other psychological treatments - BZs can begin to reduce anxiety levels and ocd symptoms in a short period of time - person will see some IMMEDIATE BENEFITS f relief

Answer 26

can be used for a SHORT PERIOD of time with HARDLY ANY serious SIDE EFFECTS - unlike other types of drugs - so, side effects are kept to a minimum in the short ter, - good for the patient

Answer 27

if they are used LONG TERM, then several unwanted SIDE EFFECTS can begin to appear - eg drowsiness, depression, unpredictable interactions w alcohol - patients have high chance of being involved in accidents - so, BZs should NOT be used as a long term treatment

Answer 28

Ashton (1997) found that long term users become very DEPENDANT on the drug - sudden withdrawal can lead to a return of high anxiety & ocd symptoms - problem of DRUG ESCALATION — whereby patients need to take very large doses of the drug in order to reduce ocd symptoms (if they take the drug for a long period)

Answer 29

Stewart (2005) criticised LONG TERM use of BZs - bcs they cause IMPAIRMENT in speed & processing of VERBAL LEARNING - effects = temporary (but are still -ve) - carried out a meta analysis — found clear evidence that long term use leads to COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS - (cognitive ability seems to improve one BZs are withdrawn, but it's still below that of control patients who have never taken them)

OCD Flashcards

(53 cards)