OCD

Question 1

Behavourial characteristics in OCD (2)

Answer 1

Complusions
Avoidance

Question 2

Compulsions

Answer 2

external
behaviours that are repeated
to reduce anxiety. For
examples, checking, counting,
washing hands

Question 3

Avoidance

Answer 3

Avoidance of situations that
trigger compulsions them

Question 4

Cognitive characteristics in OCD (2)

Answer 4

Obsessions
Awareness

Question 5

Obsessions

Answer 5

– internal,
intrusive thoughts
that are recurring and are
unpleasant and cause anxiety

Question 6

Eg of avoidance

Answer 6

a person with cleaning ritual
may attempt to avoid germs
by not shaking hands with
people

Question 7

Eg of obsession

Answer 7

worries of being
contaminated by germs.

Question 8

Awareness

Answer 8

Awareness that the
obsessions and
compulsions are irrational
excessive and unreasonable.

Question 9

Emotional characteristics in OCD (2)

Answer 9

Distress
Anxiety

Question 10

What is the biological approach to OCD?

Answer 10

The Biological approach would argue that OCD is due to physical factors in the body

Question 11

What does the biological approach to OCD suggest that OCD is?

Answer 11

inherited from a genetic predisposition

Question 12

What would the genetic explanation of OCD argue?

Answer 12

OCD is due to the inheritance of one or many maladaptive genes (eg SERT)

Question 13

What is an example of a maladaptive gene?

Answer 13

SERT

Question 14

What type of condition is OCD?

Answer 14

Polygenic

Question 15

What does it mean, that OCD is polygenic?

Answer 15

It is not caused by one gene, but a combination of genes that increase vulnerability to OCD

Question 16

What are the specific genes called and what do they do?

Answer 16

Candidate genes that make you more vulnerable to developing OCD

Question 17

What happens if the SERT gene is mutated?

Answer 17

There is a reduction in serotonin ACTIVITY levels, which is associated with increasing anxiety

Question 18

What does the neurochemical explanation suggest?

Answer 18

OCD is due to the imbalance of neurotransmitters, specifically low serotonin activity levels

Question 19

What does the mutation in the SERT gene do to serotonin?

Answer 19

Serotonin gets recycled too quickly, back into the presynaptic neuron, before it can reach the postsynaptic neuron, which decreases serotonin levels

Question 20

What is the neuroanatomical explanation of OCD?

Answer 20

OCD is due to the impaired decision making in the brain

Neuroanatomy refers to the shape and size of the certain brain areas

Question 21

What is OCD associated with (in the brain)

Answer 21

Abnormal functioning in the frontal lobe.
Abnormal functioning of the parahippocampal gyrus

Question 22

What is the frontal lobe responsible for?

Answer 22

Logical thinking and decision making

Question 23

What is the faultiness of the frontal lobe linked to in OCD?

Answer 23

It is linked to the obsessions in OCD, as a person is unaware that the thought processes are irrational

Question 24

What is the faultiness of the parahippocampal gyrus linked to in OCD?

Answer 24

It is linked to processing unpleasant emotions, such as anxiety

Question 25

What is a strength of the genetic explanation of OCD?

Answer 25

It uses scientific methods

Question 26

Why does the genetic explanation of OCD use scientific methods?

Answer 26

It is based on the objective and empirical technique of gene mapping This identifies genes, such as the SERT gene linked with OCD Therefore increasing the internal validity

Question 27

What is a weakness of the genetic explanation of OCD?

Answer 27

It is biologically reductionist

Question 28

Why is the genetic explanation of OCD biologically reductionist?

Answer 28

It reduces the complex human behaviour with OCD into the simple basic units of genes

Question 29

How does the genetic explanation of OCD ignore a holistic approach?

Answer 29

It doesn't take into account social and cultural factors such as: Certain religious groups may be more vulnerable to developing OCD due to there being a mandatory cleansing before prayer

Question 30

What is a strength of the neurochemical explanation of OCD?

Answer 30

It uses scientific methods

Question 31

How does the neurochemical explanation use scientific methods?

Answer 31

The theory is based on objective and empirical evidence techniques, such as **blood analysis**

Question 32

What does a blood analysis do for the neurochemical explanation of OCD?

Answer 32

It is used to identify levels of neurochemicals such as serotonin, which is associated with OCD

Question 33

Why does the neuroanatomical explanation of OCD use scientific methods?

Answer 33

The theory is based on objective and empirical techniques such as **brain scans**

Question 34

What do brain scans do for the neuroanatomical explanation of OCD?

Answer 34

Identify areas of the brain linked to OCD, such as the frontal lobes and parahippocampal gyrus

Question 35

What has research into the biological approach to explaining OCD led to?

Answer 35

Practical applications

Question 36

How does research into the biological approach to explaining OCD lead to practical applications?

Answer 36

The principle that a mutation in SERT gene and low serotonin activity levels are linked to OCD has led to the development of **drug treatments**

Question 37

What is the name of the drug treatment for OCD?

Answer 37

SSRI

Question 38

What do SSRI's do?

Answer 38

Increase the amount of serotonin levels in the brain, and has been found to reduce anxiety, relieving OCD symptoms

Question 39

What is the biological treatment for OCD?

Answer 39

Drug therapy

Question 40

How does drug therapy work for OCD?

Answer 40

It balances the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain in order to relieve symptoms of OCD

Question 41

How do SSRI's increase serotonin levels?

Answer 41

They block the re-absorption of serotonin to the presynaptic neuron, increasing serotonin activity levels in the **synapse**, so it continues to active the post synaptic neuron

Question 42

Where are serotonin activity levels increased in, due to SSRI's?

Answer 42

In the synapse

Question 43

How long does it take for SSRI's to reduce symptoms of OCD?

Answer 43

3-4 month

Question 44

What is another type of drug used to treat OCD, in case SSRI's don't work?

Answer 44

SNRI

Question 45

Who did research to support the effectiveness of drug therapy as a treatment for OCD?

Answer 45

Soomro et al

Question 46

What did Soomro et al do?

Answer 46

Reviewed 17 studies of the use of SSRI's to treat OCD

Question 47

What did Soomro et al find?

Answer 47

SSRI's were more effective in reducing the treatment in reducing OCD symptoms, compared to placebos

Question 48

What percentage of symptoms of OCD were reduced in those taking SSRI's?

Answer 48

70%

Question 49

For the remaining 30%, where SSRI's didn't help, what helped to reduce symptoms?

Answer 49

Combinations of drugs or psychological therapies

Question 50

What is one possible reason as to why drug therapy is effective?

Answer 50

It requires little motivation from patients They only need to remember to take a tablet

Question 51

Why does drug therapy requiring less effort, make it better than CBT?

Answer 51

It is more cost effective and there are likely to be less drop out rates, as CBT requires motivation and commitment

Question 52

What is a drawback of drug therapy?

Answer 52

They can cause negative side effects

Question 53

What negative side effects do SSRI's have?

Answer 53

Nausea Headaches Insomnia (Soomro et al)

Question 54

Why are negative side effects an issue for drug therapy?

Answer 54

Some patients can become distressed from the side effects and then stop taking their medication, which reduces its effectiveness