Neural

• Support for the neural explanations of OCD come from research examining biological treatments including anti-depressants.
• Anti-depressant drugs are effective in reducing the symptoms of OCD and provide support for a neural explanation of OCD.
• The biological explanation for OCD ignores other external factors and is reductionist.
• Some psychologists suggest that OCD may be learnt through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning.
• Anti-depressants that work solely on serotonin have been effective in reducing symptoms of OCD.
• Much of the biological research is correlational, so cause and effect cannot be inferred.
• Brain scans are very objective pieces of equipment.
• Brain scans can provide more reliable data which is objective.
• Hu (2006) compared serotonin activity in patients with and without OCD, and found lower levels in the OCD patients.
• SSRI's have high success in reducing symptoms associated with low serotonin in OCD patients.
• There is much scientific evidence to support the idea that OCD is caused by neural explanations.
• Some criticisms of the biological explanation for OCD include the lack of a clear genetic cause, the limited effectiveness of medication in treating all cases, and the potential oversimplification of a complex disorder.