biological approach to explaining OCD

Question 1

What is a significant biological component of some mental disorders?

Answer 1

OCD

OCD is a condition that may be largely understood as biological in nature.

Question 2

What type of biological explanation is mentioned in relation to OCD?

Answer 2

Genetic explanation

Question 3

What percentage of Aubrey Lewis’s OCD patients had parents with OCD?

Answer 3

37%

This observation suggests that OCD runs in families.

Question 4

What percentage of Aubrey Lewis’s OCD patients had siblings with OCD?

Answer 4

21%

Question 5

What does the diathesis-stress model suggest about mental disorders?

Answer 5

Certain genes leave some people more likely to develop a mental disorder

Question 6

What is necessary to trigger the condition of OCD according to the diathesis-stress model?

Answer 6

Some environmental stress

Question 7

What are the genes that create vulnerability for OCD called?

Answer 7

Candidate genes

Question 8

Which gene is implicated in the transport of serotonin across synapses?

Answer 8

5HT1-D beta

Question 9

What does it mean for OCD to be polygenic?

Answer 9

OCD is caused by a combination of genetic variations

Question 10

How many different genes may be involved in OCD according to Steven Taylor’s analysis?

Answer 10

Up to 230

Question 11

Which neurotransmitters are believed to have a role in regulating mood in relation to OCD?

Answer 11

Dopamine and serotonin

Question 12

What term describes the variation in genetic origins of OCD from one person to another?

Answer 12

Aetiologically heterogeneous

Question 13

What types of OCD may be the result of particular genetic variations?

Answer 13

Hoarding disorder and religious obsession

Question 14

What do neural explanations for OCD involve?

Answer 14

Genes affecting neurotransmitter levels and brain structures

Neural explanations focus on biological factors influencing OCD.

Question 15

What role does serotonin play in OCD?

Answer 15

Regulates mood and normal transmission of mood-relevant information

Low serotonin levels can lead to low moods and affect mental processes.

Question 16

What may be a consequence of low levels of serotonin in relation to OCD?

Answer 16

Reduced functioning of the serotonin system in the brain

This reduction may explain some cases of OCD.

Question 17

What decision-making issues are associated with certain cases of OCD?

Answer 17

Impaired decision-making, particularly in hoarding disorder

This impairment is linked to abnormal functioning of the frontal lobes.

Question 18

Which part of the brain is primarily responsible for logical thinking and making decisions?

Answer 18

Frontal lobes

The frontal lobes are located behind the forehead.

Question 19

What area of the brain is associated with processing unpleasant emotions in OCD?

Answer 19

Left parahippocampal gyrus

Abnormal functioning of this area is linked to OCD.

Question 20

True or False: The frontal lobes are involved in emotional processing.

Answer 20

False

The frontal lobes are more associated with logical thinking and decision-making.

Question 21

Fill in the blank: Neurotransmitters are responsible for relaying information from one neuron to _______.

Answer 21

[another neuron]

Question 22

What is one strength of the genetic explanation for OCD?

Answer 22

The strong evidence base.

Question 23

What did twin studies by Gerald Nestadt et al. (2010) find regarding identical twins (MZ) and non-identical twins (DZ) in relation to OCD?

Answer 23

68% of identical twins shared OCD, compared to 31% of non-identical twins.

Question 24

According to family studies, how much more likely is a person with a family member diagnosed with OCD to develop it?

Answer 24

Around four times as likely.

Question 25

What limitation does the genetic model of OCD have?

Answer 25

There are also environmental risk factors.

Question 26

What does research suggest about the role of environmental risk factors in OCD?

Answer 26

They can trigger or increase the risk of developing OCD.

Question 27

In the study by Kiara Cromer et al. (2007), what percentage of OCD clients had experienced a traumatic event?

Answer 27

Over half.

Question 28

How does the severity of OCD relate to the number of traumatic events experienced?

Answer 28

OCD was more severe in those with one or more traumas.

Question 29

Fill in the blank: Genetic vulnerability only provides a _______ explanation for OCD.

Answer 29

partial

Question 30

True or False: OCD appears to be entirely genetic in origin.

Answer 30

False

Question 31

What is one strength of the neural model of OCD?

Answer 31

The existence of supporting evidence, such as the effectiveness of antidepressants that work on serotonin in reducing OCD symptoms. ## Footnote This suggests a potential involvement of serotonin in OCD.

Question 32

What biological disorder is mentioned that produces OCD symptoms?

Answer 32

Parkinson's disease. ## Footnote Parkinson's disease is known to cause muscle tremors and paralysis.

Question 33

What is implied about biological factors in relation to OCD?

Answer 33

Biological factors, such as serotonin and processes underlying certain disorders, may be responsible for OCD. ## Footnote This suggests that OCD could have a biological basis.

Question 34

What is a limitation of the neural model of OCD?

Answer 34

The serotonin-OCD link may not be unique to OCD. ## Footnote Many people with OCD also experience clinical depression.

Question 35

What is co-morbidity?

Answer 35

Having two disorders together. ## Footnote In this context, it refers to OCD and clinical depression occurring simultaneously.

Question 36

How does clinical depression relate to serotonin in individuals with OCD?

Answer 36

Clinical depression probably involves disruption to the action of serotonin. ## Footnote This raises questions about the role of serotonin in OCD symptoms.

Question 37

What logical problem arises regarding serotonin's role in OCD?

Answer 37

Serotonin activity may be disrupted in many people with OCD because they are depressed as well. ## Footnote This implies that serotonin may not be directly relevant to OCD symptoms.

Question 38

Fill in the blank: If a biological disorder produces OCD symptoms, then we may assume the biological processes underlying _______ are also involved in OCD.

Answer 38

[certain disorders]

Question 39

What is the biological approach?

Answer 39

A perspective that emphasises the importance of physical processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural function.

Question 40

What are genetic explanations?

Answer 40

Genes make up chromosomes and consist of DNA which codes the physical features of an organism and psychological features.

Question 41

What do genes determine?

Answer 41

Physical features (such as eye colour, height) and psychological features (such as mental disorder, intelligence).

Question 42

How are genes transmitted?

Answer 42

From parents to offspring, i.e. inherited.

Question 43

What are neural explanations?

Answer 43

The view that physical and psychological characteristics are determined by the behaviour of the nervous system.

Question 44

Which part of the nervous system is particularly important in neural explanations?

Answer 44

The brain as well as individual neurons.

Question 45

Fill in the blank: Genes consist of _______.

Answer 45

[DNA]

Question 46

True or False: The biological approach only focuses on psychological processes.

Answer 46

False