Characteristics of OCD

• What is the behavioral component of OCD?

  Compulsive behavior
• What are the two elements of compulsive behaviors in OCD?

  Repetitive actions and anxiety reduction
• How do compulsions help OCD sufferers manage anxiety?

  They are performed to reduce anxiety from obsessions
• What percentage of OCD sufferers show compulsive behavior alone?

  10%
• What is the relationship between compulsive checking and obsessive thoughts?

  Compulsive checking responds to obsessive fears
• How does avoidance behavior manifest in OCD sufferers?

  By avoiding anxiety-triggering situations
• What can excessive avoidance lead to for OCD sufferers?

  Interference with normal life
• Why is OCD considered an unpleasant emotional experience?

  Due to powerful anxiety from obsessions and compulsions
• What negative emotions can accompany OCD?

  Guilt and disgust
• What is a common cognitive feature of OCD?

  Obsessive thoughts that recur
• What percentage of OCD sufferers experience obsessive thoughts?

  90%
• How do cognitive strategies help OCD sufferers?

  They manage anxiety from obsessive thoughts
• What is necessary for a diagnosis of OCD regarding insight?

  Patients must recognize their obsessions are irrational
• What do OCD sufferers often experience despite their insight?

  Catastrophic thoughts about worst-case scenarios
• What does hyper vigilance mean in the context of OCD?

  Constantly alert to potential hazards
• What are the three aspects of the biological explanation for OCD?

  Genetics, neurochemical, and neuroanatomical factors
• What did Lewis (1936) find regarding OCD patients and their families?

  37% had parents with OCD
• What does polygenic mean in the context of OCD?

  Involves multiple genes contributing to the disorder
• How many different genes did Taylor find may be involved in OCD?

  Up to 230 different genes
• What is the significance of candidate genes in OCD?

  They increase vulnerability to developing OCD
• What does aetiologically heterogeneous mean in relation to OCD?

  Different causes for different individuals with OCD
• What did Billett et al (1998) find in their twin studies of OCD?

  MZ twins are twice as likely to develop OCD
• What did Cromer (2007) find about OCD patients and traumatic events?

  Over half had a traumatic event in their past
• What does the diathesis-stress model suggest about OCD?

  Genetic vulnerability plus environmental triggers increase risk
• What is a limitation of the genetic explanation for OCD?

  It only provides a partial explanation
• What did Nestadt et al (2000) find regarding first-degree relatives of OCD patients?

  5 times greater risk of having OCD
• What is a challenge in finding all genes involved in OCD?

  Each genetic variation only increases risk slightly
• What is a limitation of animal studies in relation to OCD?

  Human brain complexity limits generalization
• What neurotransmitter levels are thought to be abnormal in OCD?

  High dopamine and low serotonin levels
• What happens to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in a non-OCD brain?

  It suppresses worry signals effectively
• What occurs in the brain of someone with OCD regarding the caudate nucleus?

  It fails to suppress worry signals from the OFC
• What is created when the OFC sends signals to the thalamus in OCD?

  A 'worry circuit' is created
• What part of the brain notices when something is wrong in a non-OCD brain?

  Orbital-frontal cortex (OFC)
• What does the OFC do when it registers dirt nearby?

  It sends a 'worry' signal to the caudate nucleus
• How does the caudate nucleus normally function in a non-OCD brain?

  It suppresses the original 'worry' signals
• What happens when the OFC does not send signals to the thalamus?

  The person does not start to obsess
• What occurs in someone with OCD regarding the caudate nucleus?

  It fails to suppress 'worry signals' from the OFC
• What do PET scans show in patients with OCD during symptoms?

  Heightened activity in the OFC
• What role does serotonin play in the operation of the OFC and caudate nuclei?

  It is key to their operation
• What happens when there are abnormal levels of serotonin?

  These areas might malfunction