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THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO EXPLAINING OCD - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Researchers have identified specific genes which create a vulnerability for OCD, called candidate genes
      - Serotonin genes, e.g., 5HT1-D beta, are implicated in the transmission of serotonin across synapses
      - Dopamine genes are also implicated in OCD
      - Both dopamine + serotonin are neurotransmitters that have a role in regulating mood
    - - OCD is not caused by one single gene but several genes are involved
      - Taylor (2013) found evidence that up to 230 different genes may be involved in OCD
    - - There is also evidence that different types of OCD may be the result of particular genetic variations, such as hoarding disorder and religious obsession
      - One group of genes may cause OCD in one person but a different group of genes may cause the disorder in another person - known as aetiologically heterogeneous
  - - - Neurotransmitters are responsible for relaying information from one neuron to another
      - For example, if a person has low levels of serotonin then normal transmissions of mood-relevant information does not take place and mood (and sometimes other mental processes) is affected
    - - This may be associated with abnormal functioning of the lateral (side bits) frontal lobes of the brain
      - The frontal lobes are responsible for logical thinking and making decisions
      - Some cases of OCD, and in particular hoarding disorder, seem to be associated with impaired decision making
    - - There is also evidence to suggest that an area called the left parahippocampal gyrus associated with processing unpleasant emotions, functions abnormally in OCD