The biological approach to explaining OCD

Question 1

Describe the three theories

Answer 1

Neurotransmitter imbalance

Genetic explanations

Atypical brain structure

Question 2

What is are neurotransmitters?

Answer 2

Chemicals that send messages within, to and from the brain

Question 3

Describe the role of serotonin in relation to OCD

Answer 3

Serotonin= neurotransmitter believed to regulate mood
Low levels of serotonin= low mood = OCD tendencies (especially obsessive thoughts)

Question 4

Describe the role of dopamine in relation to OCD

Answer 4

Dopamine= neurotransmitter believed to regulate mood
High levels dopamine = OCD tendencies (particularly compulsive behaviours)

Question 5

What is the diathesis stress model?

Answer 5

Certain genes mean people are more lie,l’y to develop a mental health disorder, some environmental stress is necessary to trigger the condition

Question 6

What are candidate genes?

Answer 6

Specific genes that work different

COMT- regulates dopamine
if this gene is atypical, dopamine levels are affected= OCD vulnerability

SERT- regulating serotonin
if this gene is atypical, serotonin levels are affected= OCD vulnerability

Question 7

Why is OCD described as polygenic?

Answer 7

It’s not just caused by one genetic variation- likely to be several together that increase vulnerability
Many genes are associated with serotonin

Different types of gene combination=different types of OCD

Question 8

What does the Atypical brain structure theory suggest?

Answer 8

Impaired decision making systems in the brain -> OCD
Abnormal functions of lateral frontal lobes and/or para hippocampus gyrus -> OCD

Question 9

What is the frontal lobe?

Answer 9

Area of the brain involved in decision making

Question 10

What is the para hippocampus gurus?

Answer 10

Brain area associated with processing unpleasant emotions

Question 11

Supporting evidence for the genetic explanation

Answer 11

Marini and Stebnichi found that a person with a family member diagnosed with OCD is around 4x more likely to develop it than someone without

Question 12

Weakness of the genetic explanation

Answer 12

There are environmental risk factors
Cromer et la found that over half of the OCD clients in their sample had experienced a traumatic event in their past
OCD was more severe in those with one or more traumas