The biological approach to: explaining OCD Flashcards

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1
Q

The genes associated with OCD are likely to affect the levels of key _________________ as well as…

A

neurotransmitters, structures of the brain

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2
Q

What is serotonin believed to help regulate?

A

Mood

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3
Q

What are neurotransmitters responsible for?

A

Relaying information from one neuron to another

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4
Q

What happens in the brain if a person has low levels of serotonin?

A

Normal transmission of mood-relevant information doesn’t take place

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5
Q

What may a person experience as a result of low levels of serotonin

A

Low moods and other mental processes being affected

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6
Q

True/False: At least some cases of OCD may be explained by a reduction in the functioning of the serotonin system in the brain

A

True

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7
Q

True/False: Some cases of OCD seem to be associated with impaired decision-making

A

True

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8
Q

Which disorder in particular related to OCD seems to be associated with impaired decision-making?

A

Hoarding disorder

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9
Q

Some cases of OCD seem to be associated with impaired decision-making. Which part of the brain may this in turn be associated with?

A

Abnormal functioning of the lateral (side bits) of the frontal lobes of the brain

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10
Q

Frontal lobes

A

Frontal part of the brain that are responsible for logical thinking and making decisions, located behind your forehead

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11
Q

There is also evidence to suggest than an area called what functions abnormally in OCD?

A

The parahippocampal gyrus

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12
Q

What is the parahippocampal gyrus associated with?

A

Unpleasant emotions

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13
Q

Give an example of supporting evidence for neural explanations of schizophrenia

A

Any from antidepressants that work purely on serotonin are effective in reducing OCD symptoms and OCD symptoms form part of conditions that are known to be biological in origin (Parkinson’s disease)

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14
Q

Antidepressants that work purely on serotonin are effective in reducing OCD symptoms. How does this support neural explanations?

A

Suggests that serotonin may be involved in OCD

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15
Q

What’s the main argument against the involvement of serotonin in OCD

A

The serotonin-OCD link may not be unique to OCD - many people with OCD also experience clinical depression (co-morbidity)

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16
Q

Co-morbidity

A

Having two disorders together

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17
Q

Many people with OCD also experience clinical what?

A

Depression

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18
Q

What’s the problem with many people with OCD also experiencing clinical depression when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of antidepressants for OCD?

A

This depression probably involves disruption to the action of serotonin - it could simply be that serotonin activity is disrupted in many people with OCD

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19
Q

Depression involving disruption to the action of serotonin leaves us with a logical problem when it comes to…

A

serotonin as a possible basis for OCD

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20
Q

True/False: OCD symptoms form part of conditions that are known to be biological in origin

A

True

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21
Q

Give an example of a condition that’s known to be biological in origin which’s symptoms include symptoms of OCD

A

Parkinson’s disease

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22
Q

If a biological disorder produces OCD symptoms then we may assume…

A

the biological processes underlie OCD

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23
Q

The fact that a biological disorder such as Parkinson’s disease produces OCD symptoms suggests…

A

that biological factors may be responsible for OCD (e.g. serotonin and the processes underlying certain disorders)

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24
Q

There is evidence to show that some ______ systems do not work normally in people with OCD

A

neural

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25
Q

According to the biological model of mental disorder the fact that some neural systems don’t work normally in people with OCD is most easily explained by…

A

brain dysfunction causing the OCD

26
Q

What’s the problem with saying that brain dysfunction causes OCD?

A

There is simply a correlation between neural abnormality and OCD - such correlations don’t necessarily indicate a causal relationship

27
Q

True/False: It is quite possible that OCD (or its accompanying depression) causes abnormal brain function

A

True

28
Q

True/False: OCD is a good example of a condition that may be largely understood as biological in nature

A

True

29
Q

What did Lewis find about the involvement of genes in OCD?

A

When observing patients with OCD 37% had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings with OCD

30
Q

Lewis observed patients with which condition?

A

OCD

31
Q

Lewis observed that __% of his OCD patients had parents with OCD

A

37%

32
Q

Lewis observed that __% of his OCD patients had siblings with OCD

A

21%

33
Q

What do Lewis’ findings suggest about OCD?

A

It runs in families

34
Q

What do Lewis’ findings suggest about what gets passed on from one generation to the next in regards to OCD?

A

Genetic vulnerability - not certainty of OCD

35
Q

According to the diathesis-stress model certain genes leave some people more…

A

likely to develop a mental disorder

36
Q

The diathesis-stress model says certain genes leave some people more likely to develop a mental disorder, however some…

A

environmental stress is necessary to trigger the condition (experience)

37
Q

True/False: Researchers have not yet identified specific genes that create vulnerability for OCD

A

False, they have

38
Q

What are candidate genes for OCD often involved in?

A

Regulating the development of the serotonin system

39
Q

____-_ beta is implicated in the transport of serotonin across synapses

A

5GT1-D

40
Q

True/False: OCD is polygenic

A

True

41
Q

Polygenic

A

Not caused by on single gene but instead a combination of genetic variations that together significantly increase vulnerability

42
Q

What did Taylor find in their analysis of previous studies into OCD?

A

Evidence that up to 230 different genes may be involved in OCD

43
Q

Taylor found evidence that up to how many different genes may be involved in OCD?

A

230

44
Q

Genes that have been studied in relation to OCD include those associated with the action of…

A

dopamine and serotonin

45
Q

Dopamine and serotonin are both neurotransmitters believed to have a role in doing what?

A

Regulating mood

46
Q

True/False: There are different types of OCD

A

True

47
Q

True/False: The same group of genes causes OCD in everyone

A

False, one group of genes may cause OCD in one person but a different group may cause it in another

48
Q

True/False: OCD is aetiologically heterogeneous

A

True

49
Q

OCD is aetiologically heterogeneous. What does this mean?

A

The origins vary from one person to another

50
Q

True/False: There is evidence to suggest that different types of OCD may be the result of particular genetic variations

A

True

51
Q

Give an example of a source of information that strongly suggests some people are vulnerable to OCD as a result of their genetic make-up

A

Any from twin studies and family studies

52
Q

What did Nestadt et al. (2010) find in their review of twin studies?

A

68% of identical twins shared OCD opposed to 31% of non-identical twins

53
Q

In Nestadt et al.’s review of twin studies they found that __% of monozygotic twins shared OCD

A

68

54
Q

In Nestadt et al.’s review of twin studies they found that __% of dizygotic twins shared OCD

A

31

55
Q

What did Marini et al. (2012) find about a person with a family member diagnosed with OCD?

A

They are around four times as likely to develop it as someone without

56
Q

One limitation of the genetic model of OCD is that there are also _____________ risk factors

A

environmental

57
Q

True/False: OCD appears to be entirely genetic in origin

A

False, it doesn’t

58
Q

What did Cromer et al. (2007) find about over half the OCD clients in their sample?

A

They had experienced a traumatic event in their past

59
Q

What did Cromer et al. (2007) find about their OCD clients who had experienced one or more traumas?

A

Their OCD was more severe

60
Q

What are candidate genes in terms of OCD?

A

Genetic variations that are possible causes of OCD

61
Q

What does evidence from animal studies for OCD show?

A

Particular genes are associated with repetitive behaviours in other species e.g. mice

62
Q

Although mice and humans share most genes…

A

the human mind and brain are much more complex. It may not be possible to generalise from animal repetitive behaviour to human OCD