OCD

Question 1

What is OCD

Answer 1

The involvement of repetitive behaviours, a desire for cleanliness and neatness, as well as obsessive thinking

Question 2

DSM 5 categories for OCD

Answer 2

OCD
Tricholomania
Hoarding disorder
Excoriation disorder

Question 3

What are obsessions

Answer 3

Reoccurring and persistent thoughts
Not based in reality

Question 4

What are compulsions

Answer 4

Repetitive behaviours
Physical urge to perform acts to reduce anxiety

Question 5

% of compulsions Vs obsessions

Answer 5

70% both
20% only obsessions
10% only compulsions

Question 6

Behavioural characteristics

Answer 6

compulsions
avoidance

Question 7

Emotional characteristics

Answer 7

-depression
-anxiety caused by obsessions
- guilt and disgust

Question 8

Cognitive characteristics

Answer 8

• cognitive strategies to deal with their obsessions eg praying a lot if your religious to prevent feelings immoral
  -obsessive thoughts
  -excessive anxiety

Question 9

OCD cycle

Answer 9

Obsessive thoughts - anxiety - compulsive behaviours - temporary relief

Question 10

Genetic explenations for OCD

Answer 10

-Cndidate genes (specific genes inheretid from parents that lead to an increased vulnerability usually specific to the transmittion of serotonin and dopamine)

-Polygenic (multiple genes are involved in OCD (Taylor estimate 230)

Question 11

Neural explenations for OCD

Answer 11

-Low serotonin levels lowers the mood
-imparemnet of the frontal lobe (decision making) is relavent to the behavioral and cognitive characeristics of OCD
-abnormal functioning of the parahippocampul gyrus has been linked to OCD

Question 12

genetic explenations of OCD pos

Answer 12

Research support
Nestadt
-68% mz have OCD
-31% dz have OCD
high concordance rate = genetic

Question 13

genetic explenations of OCD neg

Answer 13

Ude of animal studies
-specific gened are associated with repetitive behaviors in animals like mice
-unethical and cant be generalised

Question 14

neural explenatons for OCD pos

Answer 14

reseach support
The use of SSRI’s to increase levels of serotonin has been proven to help lessen the effects of OCD and other degenerate diseases like parkinsons

Question 15

neural explenations for OCD neg

Answer 15

Correlation not causation
The neural explenation suggests that OCD is caused by faulty neural sysems however there could simply be a link and x doesnt necessarily cause why as there may be other variables like the envirnment that we grow up in

Question 16

SSRI’s stand for

Answer 16

selective serotonin reuptake inhinitors

Question 17

What do SSRI’s do

Answer 17

In a ‘normal ‘ brain some of the serotonin is reabsorbed rather than travelling across the synapses from the presynaptic neuron to the post synaptic neuron
In an ‘abnormal’ brain like OCD, less serotonin is produced so, there is less mood related information being taken to were its supposed to be
SSRI’s prevent reuptake of serotonin so that all of the serotonin released goes to thebrain

Question 18

Anti anxiety drugs

Answer 18

benzodiazepines are a common way to reduce anxiety
-slow down the activity of the nervous system by enhancing the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)

Question 19

treatments pos

Answer 19

Quick, easy and cheap
Requires little effort form either party whilst still being effective. Cheaper than NHS psychological therapies which require time and training

Question 20

treatment neg

Answer 20

Drugs may not have a long term affect
Most studies are only 3-4 months i duration therefore its difficult to say if the drugs are effective long term