ocd- c+e

Question 1

what are the behavioral characteristics of ocd?

Answer 1

-compulsion are repetitive

Question 2

what are the cognitive characteristics of ocd?

Answer 2

-obsessive thoughts
-cognitive coping strategies
-insight into excessive anxiety

Question 3

what are the emotional characteristics of ocd?

Answer 3

-anxiety and distress
-accompanying depression
-guilt and disgust

Question 4

What approach do we use to look at OCD?

Answer 4

-Biological

Question 5

What genes are associated with causing OCD?

Answer 5

-COMT
-SERT

Question 6

How can the COMT gene be associated with causing OCD?

Answer 6

-The COMT Gene is associated with regulation of the neurotransmitter
Dopamine.
-One variation of the gene results in higher levels of dopamine- this variation is more common in patients with OCD compared to those without.

Question 7

How can the SERT gene be associated with causing OCD?

Answer 7

-The SERT gene is linked to the Neurotransmitter serotonin and effects the transport of it, causing lower levels of serotonin which is associated with OCD and depression.

Question 8

What gene is associated with the NT dopamine?

Answer 8

COMT

Question 9

What gene is associated with the NT serotonin?

Answer 9

SERT

Question 10

What NT is the SERT gene associated with?

Answer 10

Seretonin

Question 11

True or False? Only people with OCD have COMT and SERT genes.

Answer 11

-False
-Everyone has these genes, but the specific mutations in these genes cause the OCD

Question 12

What NT is the COMT gene associated with?

Answer 12

Dopamine

Question 13

Who studied the genetic concordance rates of OCD in twins?

Answer 13

-Lewis (1936)

Question 14

What did Lewis (1936) find about genetic concordance of OCD in twins?

Answer 14

-Lewis (1936) found that of his OCD patients, 37% had parents with
OCD and 21% had siblings with OCD.

Question 15

What can be concluded from Lewis (1936)’s findings?

Answer 15

This suggests that OCD runs in families, but the genetic vulnerability is passed down, not definitely OCD.

Question 16

After reviewing twin studies, what did Nesdadt (2010) find about OCD in twins?

Answer 16

-that 68% of identical (MZ) twins shared OCD as opposed to 31% of non-identical (DZ) twins.

Question 17

Taylor (2013) found that OCD was polygenic. How many genes did he suggest were involved?

Answer 17

As many as 230

Question 18

What did Marini and Stebinski (2012) find about OCD?

Answer 18

-You are 4x more likely to have OCD if a family member has it.

Question 19

What are the 3 Neural explanations for OCD?

Answer 19

-Dopamine
-Serotonin
-Brain Structure

Question 20

How is the NT dopamine associated with OCD?

Answer 20

-High dopamine is associated with/ more common in those with OCD.
-Higher levels are associated especially with the compulsive behaviours

Question 21

What characteristic (cognitive, behavioral or emotional) is dopamine associated with in OCD?

Answer 21

Behavioral

Question 22

How is the NT serotonin associated with OCD?

Answer 22

-some cases of OCD may be explained by a reduction in the functioning of the
serotonin system in the brain.
-Low serotonin may cause low moods and affect other mental processes

Question 23

What characteristic (cognitive, behavioral or emotional) is serotonin associated with in OCD?

Answer 23

Emotional

Question 24

How is the brain structure associated with OCD?

Answer 24

-impaired decision making may be caused by abnormal functioning of the
lateral of the frontal lobes of the brain.
-Parahippocampal gyrus, which is associated with processing unpleasant emotions, functions abnormally in OCD.
-PET Scans have found higher activity in the orbitofrontal cortex in patients with OCD.
-PET Scans show those with OCD have a damaged caudate nucleus (which suppresses worries) which creates a ‘worry circuit’ in the brain that leads to obsessive thought.

Question 25

What characteristic (cognitive, behavioral or emotional) is dopamine associated with in OCD?

Answer 25

Cognitive

Question 26

What is the strength of the biological explanations for OCD?

Answer 26

-research support for neural explanations, with evidence of functional differences
-there is research support for the role
of genetics in OCD
-it is supported by the success of
biological treatments.

Question 27

What are the limitation of the biological explanations for OCD?

Answer 27

-ignores other factors and is reductionist

Question 28

Explain the strength of the biological explanations for OCD that research support for neural explanations, with evidence of functional differences?

Answer 28

-Evan et al (2004) found that patients with OCD exhibited functional hyperactivity in the orbitofrontal cortex, compared to controls.
-The degree of hyperactivity also correlated to symptom severity.
-It is a strength to study OCD in this way because PET Scans/ functional scans provide empirical data/ evidence and are an objective measurement therefore

Question 29

Explain the strength of the biological explanations for OCD that there is research support for the role
of genetics in OCD?

Counterpoint?

Answer 29

-Nesdadt et al (2010) reviewed studies ands found that MZ twins
were twice as likely to suffer from OCD (68%) than DZ twins (31%) if their co-twin also had OCD.
-These high concordance rates support the idea that genes must play a role in OCD.

-However, as the concordance rates weren’t 100%, other factors must contribute to the onset of OCD.
-Cromer er al (2007) found that over half of the OCD clients in their sample had
experienced a traumatic event in their past.
-OCD was also more severe in those with one or more traumas.
-This suggests that environment is also a large factor in the development of OCD.

Question 30

Explain the strength of the biological explanations for OCD that it is supported by the success of
biological treatments?

Counterpoint?

Answer 30

-Somoro et al (2009) found that SSRIs alleviated symptoms in around 70% of patients with OCD.
-SSRIs are anti-depressants that work by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain.
-This supports the neural explanation of OCD and suggests that NTs may be a part of the cause of the condition.
-The fact that there were 30% of people whose symptoms were not alleviated by SSRIs shows that they do not work for
everyone, as OCD may be caused by other factors such as high dopamine or brain structure etc.

-However, the link between serotonin and OCD is correlational, meaning that decreased serotonin levels may be a symptom of OCD, rather than a cause

Question 31

Explain the limitation of the biological explanations for OCD that it ignores other factors and is reductionist?

Answer 31

-It is reductionist because it uses the simplest, lowest level principles to explain OCD
-Reduces it to work of NTs such as serotonin and genes such as COMT
and SERT.
-Does not take into account cognitions and learning.
-Some behaviorists have suggested that OCD may be learnt and maintained through a ‘two process theory’- it could be learned through association of the source of their anxiety (such as death or dirt) with anxiety, then maintained through the relief of performing the compulsion, which is negative reinforcement.
-An explanation that ignores these other factors may be oversimplistic and fail to give a full explanation of the condition.
-Therefore, a diathesis-stress explanation may be more appropriate.