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Psychopathology > OCD Explanations: Biological Approach > Flashcards

OCD Explanations: Biological Approach Flashcards

1
Q

What are candidate genes?

A

Specific genes which have been identified to create a vulnerability for OCD.

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2
Q

What are serotonin genes?

A

Genes which are faulty, usually affecting the transmission of serotonin across the synapses, leading to insufficient serotonin production.

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3
Q

What are dopamine genes?

A

Genes that do not control the level of dopamine released, resulting in excessive dopamine in the brain, which is implicated in OCD and mood regulation.

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4
Q

What are serotonin and dopamine?

A

They are neurotransmitters.

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5
Q

What is the COMT gene?

A

A gene that helps to reduce the action of dopamine. Variations in the COMT gene decrease the amount of COMT available, leading to uncontrolled dopamine levels associated with OCD.

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6
Q

What is the SERT gene?

A

A gene that affects the transport of serotonin, resulting in lower levels of this neurotransmitter, which has been linked to OCD.

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7
Q

What does polygenic mean in the context of OCD?

A

OCD is not caused by one single gene but several genes. Taylor found evidence that up to 230 different genes may be involved in OCD.

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8
Q

What does aetiologically heterogeneous mean?

A

One group of genes may cause OCD in one person, while a different group may cause it in another. Different types of OCD may result from particular genetic variations, such as hoarding disorders vs religious obsessions.

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9
Q

What neurotransmitter is found at low levels in OCD sufferers?

A

Serotonin is found at low levels in OCD sufferers.

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10
Q

What neurotransmitter is found at high levels in OCD sufferers?

A

Dopamine is found at high levels in OCD sufferers.

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11
Q

What role do neurotransmitters play?

A

They are chemical messengers that transmit nerve impulses from one cell across the synapse to another cell.

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12
Q

What is the relationship between dopamine levels and OCD?

A

Dopamine levels are thought to be abnormally high in people with OCD, based on animal studies.

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13
Q

What effect do high doses of drugs that enhance dopamine levels have?

A

They induce stereotypical movements resembling behaviors found in OCD patients.

Example: Szechtman study findings.

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14
Q

What happens with lower serotonin levels in relation to mood?

A

Lower serotonin levels affect normal transmission of mood-relevant information, impacting mood and other mental processes.

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15
Q

What did Piggot find regarding antidepressants and OCD?

A

Antidepressants that increase serotonin activity have proven to reduce OCD symptoms.

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16
Q

How do serotonin and other neurotransmitters affect the brain?

A

They help the functioning of the Orbital PreFrontal Cortex and the worry circuits.

17
Q

What initiates faulty signals from the Orbital PreFrontal Cortex?

A

Serotonin deficiency initiates faulty signals from the OFC.

18
Q

What is the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in OCD?

A

The OFC sends ‘worry’ signals to the thalamus, which are usually suppressed by the caudate nucleus.

19
Q

What happens if the caudate nucleus is damaged?

A

If damaged, the thalamus is alerted and confirms the ‘worry’ to the OFC, creating a worry circuit.

20
Q

What is the result of the worry circuit in OCD?

A

The individual is driven to think more about the ‘worry,’ provoking anxiety, and then act upon the ‘worry’ through compulsive behavior.

21
Q

What are the frontal lobes responsible for?

A

Frontal lobes are responsible for logical thinking and decision making.

22
Q

What is associated with impaired decision making in some cases?

A

Some cases of OCD are associated with impaired decision making, e.g., hoarding disorders.

23
Q

What may be associated with impaired decision making in OCD?

A

Impaired decision making in OCD may be associated with abnormal functioning of the lateral frontal lobes.

24
Q

What is the left parahippocampal gyrus associated with?

A

The left parahippocampal gyrus is associated with processing unpleasant emotions.

25
Q

How does the left parahippocampal gyrus function in people with OCD?

A

There is evidence to suggest that this functions abnormally in people with OCD.

26
Q

What evidence supports genetic explanations for OCD?

A

Nestadt claimed that those with first degree relatives with OCD are more likely to have the illness compared to the general population.

This suggests a genetic link to OCD.

27
Q

What did Billet find regarding monozygotic twins and OCD?

A

Billet found that monozygotic twins are more than twice as likely to develop OCD if their co-twin has OCD.

This indicates a genetic predisposition.

28
Q

What is a limitation of genetic explanations for OCD?

A

Concordance rates are not 100%, indicating that other factors, such as environmental factors, may also play a role.

Twins may share similar environments that influence OCD.

29
Q

What did Menzies discover about OCD patients and their relatives?

A

Menzies found that OCD patients and their immediate relatives had reduced grey matter in key brain regions, including the OFC.

This supports the idea of inherited anatomical differences leading to OCD.

30
Q

What did Piggot et al find regarding serotonin and OCD?

A

Piggot et al found that antidepressant drugs increasing serotonin activity reduce OCD symptoms.

This suggests serotonin’s involvement in OCD.

31
Q

What did Cromer et al find about environmental risk factors for OCD?

A

Cromer et al found that over half of OCD patients had a traumatic event in their past.

This indicates that genetic vulnerability is only a partial explanation for OCD.

32
Q

What is the Diathesis Stress Model in relation to OCD?

A

The Diathesis Stress Model suggests that genetic vulnerability must be triggered by an environmental stressor to develop OCD.

This highlights the interaction between genetics and environment.

33
Q

How do genes relate to Tourette’s Syndrome and OCD?

A

Pauls and Leckman argued that OCD is one expression of the same gene that also determines Tourette’s syndrome.

This suggests a genetic overlap between disorders.

34
Q

What did Rasmussen find regarding OCD and other disorders?

A

Rasmussen found that OCD symptoms are present in autism and anorexia nervosa, and many OCD patients also experience depression.

This indicates comorbidity and challenges the idea of a single gene for OCD.

35
Q

What implication does comorbidity have for understanding OCD?

A

It suggests that low serotonin levels may be due to depression rather than OCD alone.

This complicates the understanding of serotonin’s role.

36
Q

What is the two-process model in relation to OCD?

A

The two-process model is a behaviorist explanation for OCD, linking dirt to anxiety, where compulsions like hand-washing reduce anxiety.

This provides an alternative perspective on OCD.

Psychopathology (8 decks)

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