ocd

Question 1

behavioural characteristics of OCD are

Answer 1

compulsions, avoidance of anxiety-inducing situations, reduction in social interactions

Question 2

emotional characteristics of OCD are

Answer 2

anxiety, depression developed

Question 3

cognitive characteristics of OCD are

Answer 3

obsessions, sufferer understands that they are irrational

Question 4

the genetic explanation says that OCD is

Answer 4

inherited

Question 5

OCD often have - genes

Answer 5

COMT and SERT

Question 6

the COMT gene controls

Answer 6

dopamine levels

Question 7

Tukel (2013) found that

Answer 7

high levels of dopamine were common in OCD sufferers

Question 8

what is serotonin’s function

Answer 8

to regulate anxiety

Question 9

the SERT gene controls

Answer 9

the transport of serotonin

Question 10

Ozaki (2003) found that

Answer 10

OCD sufferers may have a SERT mutation leading to lower serotonin levels

Question 11

the neural explanation for OCD explains how

Answer 11

neurotransmitter levels lead to OCD

Question 12

dopamine levels are - and serotonin levels are - in OCD sufferers

Answer 12

high, low

Question 13

high activity levels in the - of the brain are associated with OCD

Answer 13

orbital frontal cortex (OFC)

Question 14

the function of the OFC is to

Answer 14

send worry signals to the thalamus, leading to an impulse to act

Question 15

the function of the caudate nucleus is to

Answer 15

suppress impulses from the OFC

Question 16

the caudate nucleus may not be functioning, meaning that

Answer 16

OCD could be caused as sufferers have overactive impulses for minor threats

Question 17

comer (1998) found that

Answer 17

serotonin levels can cause these areas of the brain to malfunction

Question 18

pauls (2005)

Answer 18

found that 10% of OCD sufferers have a 1st degree relative with OCD

Question 19

the overall biological explanation for OCD is that…

Answer 19

1. genes cause OCD, as shown in Pauls (2005) study where 10% of those with OCD had a relative with OCD
2. COMT and SERT genes cause high dopamine levels and low levels of serotonin
3. Tukel (2013) found that high levels of dopamine were common in OCD sufferers
4. Ozaki (2003) found that many OCD sufferers have a SERT mutation leading to low levels of serotonin
5. OCD have high levels of OFC activity, which aren’t being surpressed by the caudate nucleus
6. Comer (1998) found that serotonin levels interfere with these areas
7. overall COMT and SERT genes cause high dopamine and low serotonin, low serotonin means that the caudate nucleus doesn’t suppress enough signals from the OFC, causing people to worry irrationally and causing OCD

Question 20

different genes cause OCD in different people; it is

Answer 20

aetiologically heterogeneous

Question 21

Taylor (2013) found that

Answer 21

up to 230 genes are associated with OCD

Question 22

a strength of the biological explanation for OCD is that it has good supporting

Answer 22

research evidence from twin studies, including Pauls (2005), where 10% of OCD sufferers had OCD, and Nestadt (2010) found that MZ twins had 68% concordance as opposed to 31% in DZ twins

Question 23

what did Nestadt find and when

Answer 23

2010, MZ twins had 68% concordance in OCD as opposed to 31% in DZ twins

Question 24

a strength of the biological approach to explain OCD is that SSRIs

Answer 24

have been proven to treat OCD by Soomro (2009), suggesting the biological approach has successfully identified serotonin levels being low is a cause of OCD

Question 25

what did Soomro find and when

Answer 25

2009, 70% of people on SSRIs have a reduction in OCD symptoms

Question 26

a weakness of the biological approach to explain OCD is that the genetic explanation is supported by twin studies,

Answer 26

which lack validity as twins have a shared environment, MZ twins may have higher concordance as they have more similar experiences, not due to genes

Question 27

a weakness of the biological approach to explain OCD is that many OCD sufferers

Answer 27

have undergone traumatic experiences; Cromer (2007) found that over 50% of OCD sufferers had undergone trauma, so it may be that OCD is caused by traumatic experiences not by biology

Question 28

what did Cromer find and when

Answer 28

2007, over 50% of OCD sufferers had undergone trauma

Question 29

SSRI stands for

Answer 29

serotonin reuptake inhibitor

Question 30

SSRIs are usually prescribed alongside

Answer 30

CBT

Question 31

if SSRIs don't work in 3 months,

Answer 31

their dosage is increased and they can be combined with tricyclics and SNRIs

Question 32

SSRIs assume a

Answer 32

chemical imbalance

Question 33

serotonin is released by

Answer 33

presynaptic neurons

Question 34

where do we find presynaptic neurons

Answer 34

in the brain

Question 35

after being released by presynaptic neurons, serotonin travels

Answer 35

across the synapse

Question 36

after travelling across the synapse, serotonin binds to

Answer 36

receptor sites on the postsynaptic neurons

Question 37

serotonin binding to receptor sites on the postsynaptic neurons has the effect of

Answer 37

conveying the signal across the synapse

Question 38

after conveying the signal across the synapse, serotonin is

Answer 38

reabsorbed to be broken down by the presynaptic neuron

Question 39

SSRIs prevent the

Answer 39

reabsorption and break down of serotonin, increasing serotonin levels in the synapse

Question 40

a strength of the biological approach to treat OCD is that we have good

Answer 40

supporting evidence as 70% of OCD sufferers had a reduction in symptoms

Question 41

what % of sufferers of OCD had some improvement in their symptoms on SSRIs?

Answer 41

70

Question 42

a strength of SSRIs is that they are

Answer 42

cost effective

Question 43

a weakness SSRIs is that supporting research for them is

Answer 43

provided by the drug companies who manufacture them, so they may be biased

Question 44

a weakness f SSRIs is that they have a

Answer 44

higher relapse rate than CBT in 12 weeks | 45% on SSRIs, 12% on CBT

Question 45

what % of people on SSRIs relapse after 12 weeks

Answer 45

45

Question 46

what % of people on CBT relapse after 12 weeks

Answer 46

12