OCD

• What does OCD stand for?

  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• What is OCD?

  An anxiety disorder which has two main components: obsessions and compulsions
• What is an obsession in OCD?

  Recurring and persistent thoughts
• What is a compulsion in OCD?

  Repetitive behaviours
• What percentage of people with OCD experience obsessions and compulsions, experience just obsessions and experiece just compulsions?

  • 70% experience obsessions and compulsions.
  • 20% experience just obsessions.
  • 10% experience just compulsions.
• Give two behavioural charicteristics of OCD.

  Compulsions and avoidance.
• How do compulsions help people with OCD?

  They help to reduce anxiety, they're performed in order to manage anxiety produced by obsessions.
• Give three emotional charicteristics of OCD.

  Anxiety/distress, depression and guilt/discust
• Give four cognitive charicteristics of OCD.

  Obsessive thoughts, cognitive stratergies (praying, mediation, etc), catastrophic thinking and hyper-vigilance
• What is catastrophic thinking?

  Ruminating about irrational worst-case outcomes
• What is hyper-vigilance?

  An enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviours whose purpose is to detect threats.
• It's believed that OCD is a polygenetic condition, what does this mean?

  This means that several genes are involved in OCD.
• What do genetic explanations for OCD focus on? Give two examples.

  They focus on identifying specific candidate genes which create a vulnerability for OCD. Two examples include: the COMT gene and the SERT gene.
• Why is it beleived that the COMT gene can cause OCD?

  The COMT gene regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine. A variation of this gene creates higher levels of dopamine and this variation is more common in those with OCD, in comparison to those without it.
• Why is it believed that the SERT gene can cause OCD?

  The SERT gene is linked with the neurotransmitter serotonin and affects the transport of serotonin, a faulty SERT gene can lower levels of serotonin which is associated with OCD.
• Give a neural explanation for OCD in terms of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

  The neurotransmitter serotonin is believed to play a crucial role in OCD. Evidence suggests that lower serotonin levels are caused by the SERT gene. Evidence for the role of serotonin in OCD comes from Piggot et al., who examined antidepressants and found that drugs which increase the level of serotonin in the synaptic gap are effective in treating patients with OCD
• Give a neural explanation for OCD in terms of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

  The neurotransmitter dopamine also has implications in OCD. In contrast with serotonin, higher dopamine levels have been assocaited with some of the symptoms of OCD, in particular, the compulsive behaviours
• What are the two brain regions implicated specifically in OCD? [2]

  The basal ganglia and the orbitofrontal cortex.
• Why is it believed that the basal ganglia has implications on OCD?

  The basal ganglia is a cluster of neurones at the base of the forebrain, it's involved in multiple processes like coordination of movement. Patients who suffer head injuries in this region often develop OCD-like symptoms.
• Why is it believed that the orbitofrontal cortex has implications on OCD?

  The orbitofrontal cortex is a region which converts sensory information into thoughts and actions. PET scans have found higher activity in the orbitofrontal cortex in patients with OCD when, for example, a patient is asked to hold a dirty item with a potential germ hazard.

  One suggestion is that the heightened activity in the orbitofrontal cortex increases the conversion of sensory information to actions which results in compulsions.
• What do biological treatments for OCD aim to do?

  They aim to restore chemical imbalances in the brain.
• What are the two types of drug therapy commonly used in the treatment of OCD?

  Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs.
• SSRIs

  A type of antidepressant
• SSRIs

  • Standard treatment for OCD
  • Enhance mood
  • Alleviate anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts in people with OCD
• Serotonin release and reabsorption

  1. Serotonin released from presynaptic cell into synapse

  2. Serotonin travels to receptor sites on postsynaptic neurone

  3. Serotonin not absorbed into postsynaptic neurone is reabsorbed into presynaptic neurone
• SSRI's

  Work by preventing serotonin reabsorption into sending neurons, thereby increasing serotonin levels in the synapse and intensifying stimulation on receiving nerves
• SNRIs

  Elevate both serotonin and noradrenaline levels, used as an alternative treatment for OCD if SSRIs prove ineffective
• Benzodiazepines (BZs) are anti-anxiety drugs that boost the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA, which signals neurons in the brain to ‘slow down’ and ‘stop firing’. GABA binds to receptor sites at the synapse, increasing the flow of chloride ions into neurons, making it harder for them to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters. This calming effect on the brain reduces anxiety associated with obsessive thoughts in OCD.
• Do SSRIs question in google drive and put yes to show how many you got correct

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