ocd explanation and treatment

• What is OCD often misunderstood as?

  A mental health condition
• Why do some people incorrectly claim to be "a bit OCD"?

  It minimizes the suffering of actual patients
• What dominates the internal mental world of someone with OCD?

  Repetitive and intrusive thoughts
• What is the consequence of compulsive behaviors in OCD?

  They leave little time for other activities
• What will be discussed in the video regarding OCD?

  • Biological approach to explaining OCD
  • Genetic explanations
  • Neural explanations
  • Drug treatments
  • Evaluations
• What is the prevalence rate of OCD in the general population?

  2 percent
• What are the common symptoms of OCD?

  Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
• What is the nature of obsessive thoughts in OCD?

  They are repetitive and unpleasant
• What do compulsions aim to relieve?

  The discomfort caused by obsessive thoughts
• What is a common obsession related to cleanliness in OCD?

  Fear of dirt and contamination
• What is a common obsession related to security in OCD?

  Fear of burglary
• What is a common obsession related to fire safety in OCD?

  Fear of causing a fire
• What are the genetic explanations for OCD?

  • Vulnerability to OCD is inherited
  • No single OCD gene exists
  • Candidate genes include G9 comp, cert, and 5 ht1d beta
  • Up to 230 genes may be involved
• What does the term "polygenetic" mean in relation to OCD?

  OCD involves multiple genes
• What is the concordance rate of OCD in identical twins?

  68 percent
• What is the concordance rate of OCD in non-identical twins?

  31 percent
• What role do candidate genes play in OCD?

  • Influence the functioning of neural systems
  • Particularly affect the serotonin system
• What are the biochemical causes of OCD?

  • Imbalance of neurotransmitters
  • Low levels of serotonin linked to obsessive thoughts
• What happens to serotonin levels in people with OCD?

  They are removed too quickly from the synapse
• What is the role of the cert gene in OCD?

  It is responsible for serotonin transport
• What is the "worry circuit" in relation to OCD?

  • Overactive communication between brain structures
  • Involves the orbital frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus
  • Responsible for recurring obsessive thoughts
• What is the function of the basal ganglia in normal conditions?

  Filters out minor worries
• What happens when the basal ganglia is hyperactive in OCD?

  Minor worries reach the thalamus
• What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

  A common mental health condition affecting around 150 people, where individuals have obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
• What are the main symptoms of OCD?

  Repetitive and unpleasant obsessive thoughts, mental images, worries and urges that cause anxiety, and compulsions (repetitive behaviors) that the individual feels they need to act out to relieve the discomfort
• What is the prevalence rate of OCD in the general population?

  2%
• What is the concordance rate of OCD in first-degree relatives of someone with OCD?

  10%
• What is the concordance rate of OCD in monozygotic (identical) twins?

  68%
• What is the concordance rate of OCD in dizygotic (non-identical) twins?

  31%
• What does the difference in concordance rates between monozygotic and dizygotic twins suggest about the genetic origin of OCD?

  The higher concordance rate in monozygotic twins suggests a genetic component to OCD, as they share 100% of their genes compared to 50% in dizygotic twins
• What are the limitations of using concordance rates to infer a genetic basis for OCD?

  Closer family members also share similar environments, and even for identical twins the concordance rate is not 100% as would be expected for a purely genetic disorder
• What is the diathesis-stress model for explaining the development of OCD?

  Individuals inherit a genetic vulnerability to OCD, but the disorder only develops if there is an environmental stressor or traumatic life event
• What is the neurotransmitter most associated with OCD?

  Serotonin
• How do low levels of serotonin contribute to the development of OCD?

  Low levels of serotonin are thought to cause obsessive thoughts, due to serotonin being removed too quickly from the synapse before it can effectively transmit signals
• What brain structures are involved in the "worry circuit" that is overactive in OCD?

  The orbitofrontal cortex, basal ganglia system (particularly the caudate nucleus), and thalamus
• How does the overactive "worry circuit" in OCD lead to the repetitive obsessive thoughts and compulsions?

  The overactive basal ganglia fails to filter out minor worries from the orbitofrontal cortex, allowing them to reach the thalamus and get passed back to the orbitofrontal cortex, forming a recurring loop of obsessive thoughts that the individual tries to break through compulsive behaviors
• What other brain area is linked to OCD?

  The parahippocampal gyrus
• What is the role of the parahippocampal gyrus in OCD?

  It is responsible for regulating and processing unpleasant emotions, and has been seen to function abnormally in cases of OCD
• What is the main type of drug used to treat the symptoms of OCD?

  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• How do SSRIs work to treat OCD?

  SSRIs inhibit the reuptake of serotonin in the synapse, keeping serotonin levels higher and increasing its effectiveness, which helps normalize the activity of the overactive "worry circuit"