Neural

• What does the neural explanation say about OCD?

  Linked to low serotonin levels and high dopamine levels
• What does serotonin do?

  Helps regulate mood
• What does dopamine do?

  Produced in the brain as a "reward" - Thought to encourage compulsions shown in OCD patients
• What biological structures influence OCD?

  • Frontal cortex
  • Basal ganglia
  • Caudate Nucleus
  • Cingulate Gyrus
• What does the frontal cortex do?

  • In a normal brain is integrates sensory information and makes decisions
  • In an OCD brain it detects an error where there isn't one and sends worry signals
• What does the basal ganglia do?

  • Normal brain - controls thinking and judgement
  • OCD brain - causes repetitive behaviours
• What does the caudate nucleus do?

  • Normal brain - processes and filters information
  • OCD brain - fails to filter anxious thoughts
• Strength of the Neural Explanation:

  • Research Support
  • Antidepressants that work on the serotonin system alleviate OCD, Biological conditions (e.g. Parkinson's) have similar symptoms to OCD
• Limitation of the Neural Explanation:

  • No unique neural system
  • The apparent serotonin-OCD link may just be co-morbidity with depression.
  • The depression disrupts the Serotonin
• Strength of the Neural Explanation:

  • Anti-depressant drugs that increase serotonin are effective in reducing symptoms in 70% of OCD patients

  HOWEVER:

  • It may not be caused by the lack of serotonin and it is actually giving higher serotonin than normal
  • Deep brain stimulation of the frontal lobes can reduce symptoms in people with severe OCD