OCD

Question 1

Behavioural Characteristics

Answer 1

Compulsions/ repetitive behaviour
Avoidance

Question 2

Emotional characteristics

Answer 2

High anxiety/low mood
Disgust/ self-loathing

Question 3

Cognitive characteristics

Answer 3

Obsessions/obsessive thoughts/irrational beliefs
Insight into irrationality of thoughts and behaviour/awareness that behaviour is irrational/insight into excessive anxiety
Hyper vigilance/selective attention

Question 4

Compulsions

Answer 4

Repetitive actions that can seriously hinder the person’s ability to perform everyday tasks.
Reduce anxiety created by obsessions
Feels like they must perform these actions or something dreadful might happen

Question 5

Avoidance

Answer 5

Try to reduce anxiety by avoiding situations that might trigger it.

Question 6

High anxiety/ low mood

Answer 6

The obsessions and compulsions are a source of considerable anxiety and distress. They’re aware that these are excessive- causes shame and embarrassment. Might be aware that can’t control compulsive behaviour- strong feelings of distress.

Question 7

Obsessions

Answer 7

Persistent, intrusive, irrational thoughts perceived as inappropriate or forbidden. May be frightening or embarrassing.
Not worries about everyday problems, uncontrollable and cause anxiety.
Catastrophic thinking - think something terrible will happen if they don’t follow compulsions.

Question 8

Awareness behaviour is irrational

Answer 8

Most sufferers know their obsessions and compulsions are inappropriate or irrational, but can’t consciously control or stop them.

Question 9

Hyper vigilance

Answer 9

Increased awareness of source of obsession in new situations.

Question 10

Polygenic

Answer 10

one single gene is not responsible for the disorder

Question 11

Candidate genes

Answer 11

Genes that may be responsible for a behaviour

Question 12

GABA

Answer 12

Neurotransmitter that is released when people take Benzodiazepine

Question 13

SERT

Answer 13

Gene that affects transportation of Serotonin

Question 14

COMT

Answer 14

Gene that regulates production of the neurotransmitter dopamine

Question 15

Serotonin

Answer 15

Low levels of this neurotransmitter will result in a low mood

Question 16

Caudate nucleus

Answer 16

Area of the brain that serotonin plays a key role in operating

Question 17

SSRI

Answer 17

Drug that prevents serotonin being reabsorbed by the pre-synaptic neuron

Question 18

Genetic explanation

Answer 18

Some researchers suggest that OCd is an inherited condition

Question 19

Dopamine

Answer 19

Higher levels of dopamine have been found to be more common in OCD patients

Question 20

Genetic explanations

Answer 20

COMT gene variation that leads to higher dopamine, more common in OCD patients .
SERT gene where it causes lower levels of serotonin, have been linked to OCD.

Question 21

Strengths of genetics explanations

Answer 21

Research support - found concordance rates for OCD between monozygotic twins was significantly higher than between dizygotic twins.
Animal studies have found there is genetic basis for repetitive ritualistic behaviour in animals. E.g. common gene in mice who display ritualistic behaviour.

Question 22

Weakness of genetic explanations

Answer 22

Around half of all cases of OCD tend to follow trauma, undermining genetic explanation. Also cannot account for cases of OCD in families where there is no previous history of OCD.

Question 23

Neural explanations

Answer 23

Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters that affect mood. Abnormal levels of these neurotransmitters are associated with abnormal transmission of mood-related information.

Question 24

Dopamine - neural explanation

Answer 24

OCD sufferers have high levels of dopamine, which have been linked to over hyperactivity in the basal ganglia area in the brain. This causes repetitive motor functions e.g. compulsions.

Question 25

Serotonin - neural explanation

Answer 25

Serotonin plays a key role in operating the caudate nucleus in the basal ganglia of the brain, and it seems that low levels of serotonin cause the caudate nucleus to malfunction. In particular low levels of serotonin result in obsessions.

Question 26

Strength of neural explanations

Answer 26

Anti depressant drugs increase serotonin levels in OCD patients, and this has lead to a reduction in OCD symptoms. Therefore there is good evidence to suggest that low levels of serotonin could be a cause for OCD.

Question 27

Weakness of neural explanation

Answer 27

Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine might not necessarily cause OCD. Instead they might be symptoms of OCD.

Question 28

Drug therapy for OCD

Answer 28

The biological approach uses drug therapy to correct the imbalance of neurochemicals to reduce symptoms.

Question 29

SSRI full form

Answer 29

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors

Question 30

Serotonin between neurons

Answer 30

Serotonin is released by presynaptic neurons and travels across synaptic cleft. Chemically conveys signal from presynaptic neuron to postsynaptic neurones and is then reabsorbed by presynaptic neuron where it is broken down and refused.

Question 31

SSRI Treatment

Answer 31

Anti-depressants called SSRIs, e.g. Prozac, fluoxetine etc.
SSRIs prevent the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin and so increase the level of serotonin in the synapse where it continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neurones and is. The effect of this should be to reduce anxiety.
Typically takes 3-4 months of daily use for impact on symptoms. Typical dosage may be increased if not benefitting patient as appropriate.

Question 32

Strengths of SSRIs

Answer 32

Soomro 2009 reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRIs to placebo drugs for treating OCD, all showed SSRIs were more effective, especially when combined with CBT
70% of patients have seen a decline in OCD symptoms when taking SSRIs. Remaining 30% tend to opt for psychological therapies or combination of both.

Question 33

Weakness of SSRIs

Answer 33

Have severe side effects which might mean that OCD patient might stop taking the medication. Are temporary but include indigestion, blurred vision and loss of sex drive.

Question 34

Benzodiazepines

Answer 34

Anti anxiety drugs such as BZ are commonly used to treat OCD e.g. valium and diazepam. They slow down activity of the CNS by enhancing activity of the neurotransmitter GABA, which has an inhibitory effect on neurons.

Question 35

What does GABA do

Answer 35

Reacts with special sites called GABA receptors on the outside of neurone. This opens a channel that increases the flow of chloride ions into the neuron. These make it harder for the neuron to be stimulated by

Question 36

Strength of benzodiazepines

Answer 36

Can begin to reduce anxiety levels and OCD symptoms in a short period of time, especially compared to other treatments like CBT, so that the patient experiences immediate relief.

Question 37

Benzodiazepines weakness

Answer 37

If BZ drugs are used long term then several unwanted side effects can begin e.g. drowsiness, depression and unpredictable interactions with alcohol. Ashton found that long-term users became dependent and a sudden withdrawal of drug lead to a return of high levels of anxiety and OCD symptoms.
Also the problem of tolerance where patients need to take larger doses of the drug in order to reduce their OCD symptoms because body gets used to the drug.