7. Etiology of the Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Question 1

Heritability accounts for _______ percent of the variance in whether each of these conditions develops

Answer 1

40 to 50 percent

Question 2

Neural pathways that connect regions of the frontal cortex and areas of the basal ganglia; these pathways are implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Answer 2

fronto-striatal circuits.

Question 3

When people with OCD are shown objects that tend to provoke symptoms (such as a soiled glove for a person who fears contamination), activity in these three areas increases

Answer 3

orbitofrontal cortex, caudate nucleus and anterior cingulate

Question 4

The portion of the frontal lobe located just above the eyes; one of the brain regions that is unusually active in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder when symptoms are induced during functional neuroimaging.

Answer 4

orbitofrontal cortex

Question 5

A nucleus within the basal ganglia involved in learning and memory that is implicated in body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Answer 5

caudate nucleus

Question 6

In OCD or related disorders, successful treatment, whether through _____________ or _____________, reduces activation of the orbitofrontal cortex and caudate nucleus

Answer 6

CBT or antidepressant medication