OCD

Question 1

what is ocd?

Answer 1

OCD is an anxiety disorder characterised by having uncontrollable and intrusive thoughts, coupled with the need to perform specific acts repeatedly.

Question 2

what is a compulsion and what is a obsession?

Answer 2

obsession=cognition
compulsion=behaviour

Question 3

what are the cognitive characterstics of OCD

Answer 3

Obsessive thoughts
strategies to deal with obessions(may be to pray)
insight into excessive anxiety they know thoughts are irrational

Question 4

what are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 4

anxiety and depression as obsessive thoughts are unpleasant and frightening
depression
guilt over minor moral issues and digust with oneself

Question 5

what are the behavioural characteristics

Answer 5

compulsions alleviate anxiety
compuslsions often repetitve

Question 6

what are the explanations for OCD

Answer 6

Neural explanation
genetic

Question 7

what does the neural explanation state about OCD?

Answer 7

genes involved in vulnerability. Lewis found that 37% of people with ocd had parents with it.

Question 8

what is Polygenic

Answer 8

it means that multiple genes are candidate genes.

Question 9

who found that OCD was polygenic

Answer 9

Taylor 2013 who found 230 candidate genes

Question 10

what does aetiologically heterogenous mean?

Answer 10

that the origins of OCD have different causes

Question 11

what does the diathesis stress model state causes OCD?

Answer 11

a genetic vulnerability and a stressor causes OCD to be likely

Question 12

what does the Neural explanation state causes OCD?

Answer 12

that low level of serotonin cause transmission not to occur and this may negatively affect functioning of the brain

Question 13

what is an example of how the role of serotonin is effected?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

what is an example of how the role of dopamine is effected?

Answer 14

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)

Question 15

how is OCD related to impaired decision making?

Answer 15

it is associated with abnormal functioning of lateral of the frontal lobe (which controls logical thinking and decision making)

Question 16

what are the strengths of the biological explanation of OCD?

Answer 16

1. 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

Question 18

what are the weaknesses of the biological explanation of OCD

Answer 18

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

Question 19

what are the treatment of OCD?

Answer 19

drug treatment, this aims to increase or decrease the neurotransmitters in the brain, will icnrease or decrease certain behaviours

Question 20

when does reuptake occur?

Answer 20

when there aren’t enough receptors at the post synaptic terminal for the neurotransmitters released.

Question 21

what is faulty with reuptake in OCD?

Answer 21

too much serotonin is reasorbed into the presynaptic terminal.

Question 22

what is the primary drug used to treat OCD?

Answer 22

SSRI’s (aka synapse serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

Question 23

what treatment is commonly combined with SSRI’s and why?

Answer 23

CBT (Cognitive behaviour therapy) this is because SSRI’s often enable patients to engage fully in CBT

Question 24

how do SSRI’s work?

Answer 24

they prevent serotonin from being reabsorbed into the presynaptic terminal, this allows more serotonin to be available

Question 25

what is the aim of SSRI’s?

Answer 25

to compensate for whatever is wrong with the serotonergic system in OCD.

Question 26

how long does it take for SSRI’s to be effective?

Answer 26

3 to 4 months

Question 27

what alternatives are their to SSRI’s

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

what are the strengths of the biological treatment of OCD?

Answer 28

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