Characteristics
An emotion which is very common in all people with OCD.
What is Anxiety?
This affects the transport of serotonin
What is the SERT gene?
The gene regulates mood and creates feelings of happiness.
What is Serotonin
The most common biological therapy for anxiety disorders.
What is drug therapy?
Twins often share the same environment when growing up.
Why are twin studies flawed?
This often accompanies OCD.
What is Depression?
This regulates the function of dopamine by breaking down excess dopamine.
What is the COMT gene?
This is involved in decision making and the regulation of primitive aspects of our behaviour.
What is the pre-frontal cortex?
3-4 months.
How long does it take for drug therapy to have a real impact on symptoms?
Drug companies may withhold any results that do not support the drug they are marketing.
Why is evidence for drug treatments unreliable?
Patients with OCD perform repetitive acts in order to reduce their anxiety.
What are compulsions?
The name given to several genes.
What is meant by the term polygenic?
Leads to compulsive and repetitive behaviour
What happens when the pre-frontal cortex over-activates?
Drug therapy is more effective when paired with this.
What is CBT?
50% of OCD sufferers reported going through a traumatic event in their past.
How did Cromer's research support the Diathesis- Stress Model?
Around 90% of OCD sufferers report recurring thoughts.
What percentage of patients had obsessive thoughts?
What did Lewis find about concordance rates for OCD?
This a type of antidepressant which acts on serotonin levels by preventing re-absorption.
What are SSRIs?
The other neurotransmitter affected by SNRIs.
What is noradrenaline?
Soomro found that out of 17 studies 70% of patients in all 17 studies had reduced symptoms when taking SSRIs.
What evidence is there for the effectiveness of drug therapy?
People with OCD are aware that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational.
What is meant by Insight into Excessive Anxiety?
The origin of OCD has different causes.
What is meant by the term aetiologically heterogeneous?
Located in the temporal lobe and is associated with processing unpleasant emotions and interpreting them.
What is the left parahippocampal gyrus?
An older type of antidepressants with more serious side effects like vomiting and irregular heart rhythms.
What are tricyclics?
Many people with OCD are also diagnosed with depression. Meaning that the neurotransmitter serotonin doesn't necessarily affect the development of OCD.
Why can we not claim to truly understand the neural mechanisms involved in OCD?