OCD Flashcards
what is ocd?
OCD is an anxiety disorder characterised by having uncontrollable and intrusive thoughts, coupled with the need to perform specific acts repeatedly.
what is a compulsion and what is a obsession?
obsession=cognition
compulsion=behaviour
what are the cognitive characterstics of OCD
Obsessive thoughts
strategies to deal with obessions(may be to pray)
insight into excessive anxiety they know thoughts are irrational
what are the emotional characteristics of OCD?
anxiety and depression as obsessive thoughts are unpleasant and frightening
depression
guilt over minor moral issues and digust with oneself
what are the behavioural characteristics
compulsions alleviate anxiety
compuslsions often repetitve
what are the explanations for OCD
Neural explanation
genetic
what does the gene explanation state about OCD?
genes involved in vulnerability. Lewis found that 37% of people with ocd had parents with it.
what is Polygenic
it means that multiple genes are candidate genes.
who found that OCD was polygenic
Taylor 2013 who found 230 candidate genes
what does aetiologically heterogenous mean?
that the origins of OCD have different causes
what does the diathesis stress model state causes OCD?
a genetic vulnerability and a stressor causes OCD to be likely
what does the Neural explanation state causes OCD?
that low level of serotonin cause transmission not to occur and this may negatively affect functioning of the brain
what is an example of how the role of serotonin is effected?
SERT gene
Malfunctioning gene responsible for regulation of serotonin levels
Should ensure serotonin levels are normal for everyday
However, it causes serotonin levels to dip too low
This makes low mood which makes negative obsessions
what is an example of how the role of dopamine is effected?
COMT gene
Candidate gene
Is a gene responsible for dopamine regulation
Dopamine controls motivation
malfunctioning it lets too much dopamine through
If dopamine too high motivation too high (manifests in compulsions)
how is OCD related to impaired decision making?
it is associated with abnormal functioning of lateral of the frontal lobe (which controls logical thinking and decision making)
what are the strengths of the biological explanation of OCD?
- it is effective
Nestadt et al 2010
68% of identical twins shared OCD and 31% of non identical twins shared
Suggests genetic inlfuence on OCD
2.There is some supporting evidence
Antidepressants work purely on serotonin system
Such drugs are effective in reducing OCD symptoms and this suggests that the serotonin system is involved in OCD
Biological processes cause symptoms in those conditions may also be responsible for OCD
what are the weaknesses of the biological explanation of OCD
1.Cromer et al 2007
Over half of patients had a traumatic event in past and that OCD was mroe severe in those with more than one trauma
Cannot be entirely genetic may be more productive to focus on environmental cause
2.Studies of decision making have found that the neural systems are the same which function abnormally in OCD. Cavedinci et al. however, it has been found that some other brain systems also work sometimes. Cannot be definite what systems involved
3.Shouldn’t assume neural mechanisms that cause OCD. even though neural systems and neurotransmitters function abnormally in people with OCD this isn’t the same as saying that this abnormal functioning causes OCD
4.The OCD-serotonin link may be simply co-morbidity with depression #
Many people with OCD develop depression or already have it. The depression probably involves disruption to the serotonergic system. This weakens the link between low serotonin and OCD might be other factors. Limits the extent which we can assume causality
what are the treatment of OCD?
drug treatment, this aims to increase or decrease the neurotransmitters in the brain, will icnrease or decrease certain behaviours
when does reuptake occur?
when there aren’t enough receptors at the post synaptic terminal for the neurotransmitters released.
what is faulty with reuptake in OCD?
too much serotonin is reasorbed into the presynaptic terminal.
what is the primary drug used to treat OCD?
SSRI’s (aka synapse serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
what treatment is commonly combined with SSRI’s and why?
CBT (Cognitive behaviour therapy) this is because SSRI’s often enable patients to engage fully in CBT
how do SSRI’s work?
they prevent serotonin from being reabsorbed into the presynaptic terminal, this allows more serotonin to be available
what is the aim of SSRI’s?
to compensate for whatever is wrong with the serotonergic system in OCD.
how long does it take for SSRI’s to be effective?
3 to 4 months
what alternatives are their to SSRI’s
1.Tricyclics(such as clompramine) do the same thing to the serotonergic system and also blocks glutamate. this is only used if SSRI’s are ineffective after 3 to 4 months because it is more extreme.
2. SNRI’s also used if SSRI’s ineffective. they block both serotonin and noradrenaline.
what are the strengths of the biological treatment of OCD?
1 is effective symptoms decline in 70% of patients who take SSRI’s
2 is cost effective and non disruptive some patients can take drugs until they feel better
