OCD

• What are the behavioral characteristics of OCD?

  • Compulsions: repetitive behaviors
  • Compulsions reduce anxiety
  • Avoidance of triggering situations
• What are common examples of compulsive behaviors in OCD?

  Washing, checking, and hoarding
• How do compulsions help OCD sufferers?

  They reduce anxiety related to obsessions
• What percentage of OCD sufferers show compulsive behavior about possessions?

  About 10%
• Why do OCD sufferers avoid certain situations?

  To reduce anxiety from triggering obsessions
• What emotional experience is associated with OCD?

  Powerful anxiety accompanies obsessions and compulsions
• How does compulsive behavior affect anxiety in OCD?

  It provides temporary relief from anxiety
• What cognitive characteristic is common in OCD sufferers?

  Obsessive thoughts that recur frequently
• What do cognitive coping strategies in OCD aim to do?

  Manage anxiety from obsessive thoughts
• What is necessary for a diagnosis of OCD?

  Insight that obsessions and compulsions are irrational
• What catastrophic thoughts do OCD sufferers experience?

  Worst-case scenarios related to their anxieties
• What are the biological explanations for OCD?

  • Genetics: hereditary factors
  • Neurochemical: neurotransmitter levels
  • Neurosurgical: brain structure and function
• What does the genetic explanation of OCD suggest?

  OCD is inherited and influenced by multiple genes
• What percentage of first-degree relatives have OCD compared to the general population?

  10% compared to 2%
• How many genes may be involved in OCD according to Taylor?

  Up to 230 different genes
• What is the role of the COMT gene in OCD?

  Regulates dopamine production
• What does the SERT gene affect in relation to OCD?

  Transport of serotonin levels
• What is meant by polygenic in the context of OCD?

  Multiple genes contribute to the disorder
• What does aetiologically heterogeneous mean in relation to OCD?

  Different genes may cause OCD in different individuals
• What did the twin studies reveal about genetic vulnerability in OCD?

  MZ twins have twice the risk compared to DZ twins
• What does the diathesis-stress model suggest about OCD?

  Genetic vulnerability plus environmental triggers increase risk
• What did Nestadt et al. find regarding first-degree relatives and OCD?

  5 times greater risk for relatives with OCD
• What is a limitation of the genetic explanation for OCD?

  It cannot identify all involved genes
• What do animal studies suggest about genetic causes of OCD?

  Some genes linked to repetitive behaviors
• What neurotransmitter levels are abnormal in OCD?

  High dopamine and low serotonin levels
• What brain structures are thought to be abnormal in OCD?

  Several areas of the frontal lobes
• What is the role of the orbito frontal cortex in OCD?

  Alerts to anxieties and sends signals
• What is the main focus of the neural explanation for OCD?

  It links genes, neurotransmitters, and brain structures
• How do abnormal neurotransmitter levels relate to OCD?

  They affect dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain
• What neurotransmitter is thought to be abnormally high in OCD patients?

  Dopamine
• What is the relationship between serotonin and OCD symptoms?

  Lower serotonin levels are found in OCD patients
• What role does the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) play in OCD?

  It sends worry signals to the caudate nucleus
• What happens when the caudate nucleus is damaged in OCD patients?

  It fails to suppress worry signals from the OFC
• What is created when worry signals are not suppressed in OCD?

  A 'worry circuit'
• How do PET scans contribute to understanding OCD?

  They show heightened activity in the OFC during symptoms
• What neurotransmitter is linked to the operation of the OFC and caudate nucleus?

  Serotonin
• What is the implication of serotonin levels in OCD treatment?

  Improving serotonin levels can reduce symptoms
• What is a limitation of the neural explanation of OCD?

  It may not explain why OCD develops
• What does the correlation and causality issue imply about OCD?

  OCD may cause abnormal brain function
• What type of treatment is suggested by the biological explanation of OCD?

  Biological treatments