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.
• What is one of the strengths of the neural explanations?


  There is supporting evidence.
• For example, some antidepressants (also used to treat depression) works on the levels of serotonin. The drugs increase levels of serotonin. When these drugs are prescribed, symptoms of OCD are reduced.
• What does this imply?

  This implies that low levels of serotonin DO play a role in OCD.
• One weakness of the neural explanation is.....

  There is conflicting evidence for this explanation.
• There is an issue with understanding neural mechanisms involved in OCD. While there is evidence which suggests that certain neural systems do not function normally in patients suffering from OCD, such as the basal ganglia and the orbitofrontal cortex, research has also identified other areas of the brain that are occasionally as well.
• This means that there is no brain system which has consistently been found to play a role in OCD.
• Another Weakness for OCD is....

  Correlational evidence
• For example, there is a link between serotonin levels and OCD.
• A correlation means we cannot determine which factor caused which.

  For example, we cannot be sure if low levels of serotonin cause OCD, or whether having OCD results in low levels of serotonin.
• This is a problem as we cannot establish cause and effect.

  Also, additional causes likely such as genetics and even learning.