OCD Flashcards
What is OCD
The involvement of repetitive behaviours, a desire for cleanliness and neatness, as well as obsessive thinking
DSM 5 categories for OCD
OCD
Tricholomania
Hoarding disorder
Excoriation disorder
What are obsessions
Reoccurring and persistent thoughts
Not based in reality
What are compulsions
Repetitive behaviours
Physical urge to perform acts to reduce anxiety
% of compulsions Vs obsessions
70% both
20% only obsessions
10% only compulsions
Behavioural characteristics
compulsions
avoidance
Emotional characteristics
-depression
-anxiety caused by obsessions
- guilt and disgust
Cognitive characteristics
- cognitive strategies to deal with their obsessions eg praying a lot if your religious to prevent feelings immoral
-obsessive thoughts
-excessive anxiety
OCD cycle
Obsessive thoughts - anxiety - compulsive behaviours - temporary relief
Genetic explenations for OCD
-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)
Neural explenations for OCD
-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
genetic explenations of OCD pos
Research support
Nestadt
-68% mz have OCD
-31% dz have OCD
high concordance rate = genetic
genetic explenations of OCD neg
Ude of animal studies
-specific gened are associated with repetitive behaviors in animals like mice
-unethical and cant be generalised
neural explenatons for OCD pos
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
neural explenations for OCD neg
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
SSRI’s stand for
selective serotonin reuptake inhinitors
What do SSRI’s do
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
Anti anxiety drugs
benzodiazepines are a common way to reduce anxiety
-slow down the activity of the nervous system by enhancing the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)
treatments pos
Quick, easy and cheap
Requires little effort form either party whilst still being effective. Cheaper than NHS psychological therapies which require time and training
treatment neg
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
