psych the genetic explanation to ocd flash

Question 1

According to the biological explanations of OCD, people with OCD have a hyperactive ____ cortex, and an underactive _____ .

Answer 1

According to the biological explanations of OCD, people with OCD have a hyperactive orbitofrontal cortex, and an underactive basal ganglia .

Question 2

What is one potential cause of hyperactivity in the orbitofrontal cortex, in people with OCD?

Answer 2

BA reduction in serotonin levels at the synapse, because serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Question 3

What is one cause of reduced serotonin levels in people with OCD?

Answer 3

CCarrying a long allele of the SERT gene, causing increased re-uptake of serotonin at the synapse.

Question 4

What are the results of blocking the re-uptake of serotonin? Select all that apply.

Answer 4

BMore serotonin will be available at the synapse.

DThere will be increased inhibition of neural activity in post-synaptic neurons.

FThere will be a reduction in hyperactivity of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex.

Question 5

Select all that are true: about SSRIs

Answer 5

FSSRIs increase inhibition of neural activity in the orbitofrontal cortex.

BSSRIs block serotonin reuptake, resulting in more serotonin being available at the synapse.

Question 6

Which of the following are assumptions made by biological treatments for OCD? Select all that apply.

Answer 6

Biological treatments for OCD assume that those with the disorder have a hyperactive orbitofrontal cortex, because of a lack of serotonin available at the synapse, and an underactive basal ganglia.

Question 7

What does SSRI stand for?

Answer 7

BSelective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Question 8

Question 3. How do SSRIs work? Select all statements that are true.

Answer 8

DSSRIs block re-uptake of serotonin into the pre-synaptic neuron.

ESSRIs increase inhibition of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex.

ASSRIs increase the level of serotonin available at the synapse.

Question 9

estion 4. Explain how the effects of SSRIs impact neural activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, in people with OCD.

Answer 9

SSRIs block re-uptake of serotonin into the pre-synaptic terminal, which then increases the amount of serotonin available at the synapse. Serotonin acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, so, after binding to post-synaptic receptors, serotonin creates a negative charge that inhibits the post-synaptic neuron, making a nerve impulse less likely to occur. This leads to a decrease in neural activity in the orbitofrontal cortex. This means that the orbitofrontal cortex no longer remains hyperactive in people with OCD.

Question 10

Which of the following statements correctly describe the neural explanation of OCD? Select all that apply.

Answer 10

ANeurons in the orbitofrontal cortex are overactive in the brains of people with OCD.

DPeople with OCD have lower levels of serotonin in the orbitofrontal cortex.

Question 11

What is a gene?

Answer 11

A segment of DNA that controls the production of one protein.

Question 12

The influence of genes on behaviour is complex, because…

Answer 12

Bit is unlikely that just one gene is responsible for any given behaviour.

Dbehaviour is more likely to be caused by a combination of lots of different genes.

Eenvironmental factors have a bigger impact on behaviour than on physical traits.

Question 13

The genetic explanation of OCD says that…

Answer 13

Awe can inherit OCD from our parents.

Bspecific gene alleles can increase a person’s risk of developing OCD.

Question 14

Serotonin is a/an

Answer 14

Inhibitory

Question 15

neurotransmitter, meaning that the post-synaptic potentials that serotonin causes in the post-synaptic neuron are

Answer 15

Inhibitory

Question 16

In order to avoid neurotransmitters floating around in the synaptic cleft forever, what happens to them?

Answer 16

CThe neurotransmitters are sucked back into the pre-synaptic membrane by re-uptake proteins.

Question 17

The SERT gene produces re-uptake proteins that carry serotonin back into the pre-synaptic membrane.

Answer 17

AMore serotonin is taken back up into the pre-synaptic terminal.

DLess serotonin is present in the synapse.

Question 18

Please select all statements below that are correct about the SERT gene:

Answer 18

AThe SERT gene produces re-uptake proteins.

EThe more re-uptake proteins that are produced, the less serotonin is available in the synapse.

FThe SERT gene has been associated with OCD.

Question 19

The short allele produces less re-uptake protein. What happens when there is less re-uptake protein? Select all that apply.

Answer 19

BLess serotonin is taken up into the pre-synaptic terminal.

CMore serotonin is available in the synapse.

Question 20

Having more serotonin present in the synapse means that neural activity becomes…

Answer 20

Inhibited

Question 21

The long allele of the SERT gene produces more re-uptake protein.

Answer 21

BMore serotonin is taken up into the pre-synaptic terminal.

CLess serotonin is present in the synapse.

Question 22

People who carry the long allele of the SERT gene will have a decrease in serotonin at the synapse. This means that they will have less inhibition of neural activity in the brain region where a lot serotonin is released, including the region associated with OCD, which is called the…

Answer 22

Orbitofrontal cortex.

Question 23

Question 4. Explain what effect having the long allele of the SERT gene has on neural activity in people with OCD.

Answer 23

The long allele produces more re-uptake protein, causing less serotonin to be available at the synapse. Less serotonin means that there is less inhibition of neural activity in the post-synaptic neuron.