OCD Structures

Question 1

Biological explanation

Neuroanatomical

Answer 1

Caudate nucleus -> GPF -> thalamus
E.g. Whiteside (overactive caudate nucleus)

Cascade reaction, thalamus -> cingulate gyrus -> orbitofrontal cortex
E.g. Menzies (different amount of grey matter)
Therefore treatments to target
However Kireev neuroplasticity

Testable
E.g. Menzies used a CAT scan

Question 2

Psychological explanation

Non-biological explanation of OCD

Answer 2

Negative belief system -> hypervigilance -> gives rise to intrusive thoughts (obsessions)
E.g. Frost and Steketee
Useful application treatments (CBT)

Low memory confidence -> compulsions
E.g. Illustrative, about switches

Good for telling us how experience different, not good at telling us why, Neuroanatomical may be better at that
E.g. Illustrative

Question 3

Biological treatments

Drug treatments

Answer 3

SSRI’s, Bz, (only SSRI’s in detail) (anti depressant NT level)
E.g. Soomro

Less ethical than CBT
E.g. None actually designed for OCD, hit and miss and do have side effects (weight gain)

However, more practical than CBT
E.g. Illustrative
Therefore, when there are time/financial constraints on client may be better

Question 4

Psychological treatment for OCD

CBT

Answer 4

Talking therapy trying to alter faulty cognition by:
Identifying what they are
Challenging them
Replacing them with healthy ones
E.g. More ethical 

Made up of compulsions and obsessions, to treat obsessions
E.g. Asked to identify beliefs follow obsessions, challenged with evidence, explain something like Neuroanatomical
E.g. Whittal

Compulsions ERP
E.g. Van oppen

If time:
Less practical