Psychopathology: The biological approach for explaining OCD Flashcards
What is a concordance rate?
a measure of genetic similarity
What is dopamine?
one of the key neurotransmitters in the brain which effects motivation/ ‘drive’
What is a gene?
part of a chromosome that carries information in the form of the DNA
What is a neurotransmitter?
chemical substances that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse
What is the genetic explanations for OCD?
the idea that mental disorders are inherited and that individuals inherit specific genes from their parents that are related to the onset of OCD.
What does the COMT gene do?
The COMT gene regulates the function of dopamine and appears to have mutated in individuals with OCD.
How does the COMT gene affect OCD?
The mutation of the COMT gene found in patients with OCD produces lower activity levels of the COMT gene and therefore higher levels of dopamine.
What does the SERT gene do and how does it affect OCD?
The SERT gene affects the transport of serotonin, causing lower levels of serotonin which is associated with OCD.
What is the diathesis-stress?
The theory that mental and physical disorders develop from a genetic or biological predisposition for that illness (diathesis) combined with stressful conditions that play a precipitating of facilitating role but aren’t the sole reason why an individual can develop OCD.
Why is the diathesis stress important in explaining OCD?
This is important in explaining OCD as complex behaviours can’t be simply described by singular genes so by using the COMT and SERT genes may describe a vulnerability to OCD while also highlighting the importance of environmental factors.
What are the neural explanations for OCD?
a link between genetic factors and abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters the same can be established between genetic factors and brain circuits.
How do abnormal levels of neurotransmitters affect OCD?
The abnormal level of neurotransmitters that lead to OCD are high dopamine levels and low serotonin levels.
How do abnormal brain circuits affect OCD?
Several areas in the frontal lobe: the caudate nucleus (located in the basal ganglia)and the OFC —> if damaged fails to suppress minor worry signals that travel to the thalamus. This is supported by brain scans both serotonin and dopamine have influences in these areas.
What are the 4 AO3 points for the biological approach to explaining OCD?
The nature/nurture debate
-An alternative explanations for OCD
+Supporting research
+Practical explanations
(AO3) How does the nature/nurture debate impact the biological approach to explaining OCD?
The nature-nurture debate is a key debate in the biological approach as it argues whether human behaviour is determined by an individual’s environment (nurture) or by their genes (nature). The diathesis stress model suggests that both are vital in explaining OCD as the nature side of the debate is explained by the influence of neurotransmitters and brain circuits on abnormal levels and the influence of trauma, parenting types and stressful life events (nurture). Therefore, it’s important to assess the influence of the nature-nurture debate in the biological approach.
