Psychopathology- OCD Flashcards
What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?
Obsessions
Obsessions are intrusive thoughts that cause significant anxiety.
What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?
Guilt and anxiety
These feelings often accompany the obsessions experienced in OCD.
What are the behavioral characteristics of OCD?
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce anxiety.
Which brain area detects worrying stimuli in OCD?
Orbitofrontal cortex
This region is involved in decision-making related to anxiety-provoking situations.
What is the role of the Basal Ganglia in OCD?
Analyses the outcome of actions and inhibits communications from the orbitofrontal cortex
This inhibition helps regulate the response to the worrying stimuli.
How does the orbitofrontal cortex interact with the motor cortex in OCD?
Sends messages to the motor cortex
This interaction leads to the execution of compulsive behaviors.
What happens when the basal ganglia sends signals in OCD?
The signals are weaker due to impaired connections
This impairment is caused by the hyperactivity of the orbitofrontal cortex.
What causes the creation of obsessions in someone with OCD?
Hyperactivity of the orbitofrontal cortex
This hyperactivity leads to an increased generation of intrusive thoughts.
What neurotransmitter is mentioned as being reduced in the orbitofrontal cortex?
Serotonin
What type of neurotransmitter is serotonin classified as?
Inhibitory neurotransmitter
What is the effect of reduced serotonin on neural pathways?
Causes a reduction in activity
What area of the brain is affected by the reduction of serotonin?
Orbitofrontal cortex
What may occur in the orbitofrontal cortex due to reduced activity in neural pathways?
Hyperactivity
True or False: A reduction in serotonin can impair communication.
True
Fill in the blank: A reduction in serotonin leads to a reduction in activity in the _______.
Neural pathways
What type of studies support the neural explanation of OCD?
Case studies and brain studies
These studies help to understand the biological basis of OCD.
In what year did Max et al conduct their study involving a 12-year-old girl with OCD?
1995
This study is pivotal in linking brain damage to OCD symptoms.
What event led to the development of OCD symptoms in the studied girl?
She got hit by a car
This incident caused brain damage, which was later analyzed.
Which brain structure was found to have structural damage in the girl studied by Max et al?
Basal ganglia
Damage to the basal ganglia is associated with OCD symptoms.
What method did researchers use to study the girl’s brain?
MRI
MRI is a common non-invasive imaging technique used in brain studies.
What is the main focus of the study conducted by Sexena and Rauch in 2000?
The study focused on comparing neural activity in OCD patients and a control group without OCD.
What area of the brain showed increased activity in all OCD adults studied?
Orbitofrontal Cortex.
True or False: The study by Sexena and Rauch included children with OCD.
False.
Fill in the blank: Brain imaging studies in OCD patients compare neural activity with a _______ group.
control
What type of studies did Sexena and Rauch review in their 2000 research?
Studies with OCD adults.
What is the significance of the orbitofrontal Cortex in the context of OCD?
It is associated with increased brain activity in OCD patients.
What is a limitation of the neural explanation of OCD?
Results of studies haven’t always been replicated
For example, Aylward (1996) conducted MRIs with adults with OCD and found no relation between OCD and the basal ganglia.
What do MRIs suggest about the relationship between OCD and the basal ganglia?
There is no relation
This suggests that there might be other factors affecting OCD.
What are genes?
Segments of DNA which control the structure of a protein
How do we inherit alleles related to OCD?
From parents
What increases the likelihood of developing OCD?
Multiple alleles
Different alleles can contribute to the risk of developing OCD.
What is the SERT gene?
The serotonin transporter gene
What role does the SERT gene play in relation to OCD?
It increases the likelihood of causing OCD
What are the two alleles of the SERT gene?
The long allele and the short allele
What does the long allele of the SERT gene produce?
More reuptake than the short allele
How does the long allele affect serotonin availability?
Causes less serotonin to be available at the synapse
What disorder is associated with the long allele of the SERT gene?
OCD
What type of studies support the genetic explanation for OCD?
Twin studies
What was the concordance rate for OCD in MZ twins according to Billet et al?
68%
What was the concordance rate for OCD in DZ twins according to Billet et al?
31%
What did Nestadt’s study find regarding OCD patients and their relatives?
12% of participants with OCD had a relative with OCD
What percentage of the control group had a relative with OCD in Nestadt’s study?
3%
What did Hu et al. find regarding the long allele in OCD patients?
OCD patients were more likely to carry the long allele than the control group
What is a limitation of twin studies mentioned in the text?
They assume MZ and DZ twins have the same amount of shared environment
What do SSRIs block in biological treatments?
Serotonin reuptake
SSRIs lead to increased serotonin levels in synapses.
What effect do SSRIs have on the orbitofrontal cortex?
They cause a less hyperactive orbitofrontal cortex
What did Soomoro conclude about SSRIs in a review of 17 studies?
SSRIs are effective in treating OCD symptoms
Are SSRIs considered cost-effective?
Yes
What are some potential side effects of SSRIs?
They block serotonin in all brain areas
What happens if patients stop taking SSRIs?
They relapse
What might SSRIs not effectively treat?
Underlying causes such as cognitive factors or environmental factors
What combination of treatments did O’Connor et al. find to be more effective?
CBT and SSRIs
Fill in the blank: SSRIs increase _______ in synapses.
serotonin
True or False: SSRIs are only effective for the underlying causes of OCD.
False
