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
• evaluation 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