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biological approach to treating and explaining OCD - Coggle Diagram
biological approach to treating and explaining OCD
OCD
obsessive compulsive disorder
anxiety disorder
obsessions= internal, reoccurring and persistent thoughts
compulsions= external repetitive behaviours
70% ppl experience combined obsessions&compulsions, 20% just experience obsessions and 10% just compulsions
biological explanations
genetic
SERT gene
causes problems with vesicles transportation to the edge of the presynaptic neuron, meaning serotonin isn't released into the synapse so there is a deficiency of serotonin
COMT gene
COMT gene regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine as it is responsible for clearing dopamine from synapses
variation to COMT gene causes there to be a low activity of the COMT enzyme which means that dopamine is not broken down and re absorbed into the presynaptic neuron so the levels increase.
dopamine is related to reward processing in the brain, so an increase in dopamine will mean that compulsive behaviours are rewarding which explains the ritualistic behaviours of ppl with OCD
suggests OCD inherited and that individuals inherit specific genes which cause OCD
evaluation
strength- research from family studies found that 37% of the patients with OCD had parents with the disorder and 21% had siblings diagnosed with OCD and found that 68% of identical twins and 31% of non-identical twins experience OCD, which
suggests a very strong genetic component.
however family studies also demonstrate that genetics cannot fully explain the cause of OCD.No twin study has found a concordance rate of 100% in identical twins, which means that
biological factors are not the only factor contributing to OCD.
neural
neurotransmitters
serotonin
serotonin regulates mood and is associated with anxiety
low levels of serotonin are associated with OCD
dopamine
dopamine associated with OCD
high levels of dopamine are associated with symptoms of OCD, in particular the compulsive behaviours
evaluation
strength- supporting evidence as antidepressants that work purely on the serotonin system by increasing the level of serotonin in the synapse are effective in reducing OCD symptoms and this suggests that serotonin may be involved in OCD
limitation- relationship between neurotransmitters and OCD correlational so just because antidepressants are effective at reducing symptoms of OCD does not necessarily mean the symptoms were caused by lack of serotonin so hard to establish if imbalance of neurotransmitters are the cause or effect of OCD
brain structure
basal ganglia
brain structure involved in multiple processes including coordination and movement
patients who suffer head injuries in this region often develop OCD like symptoms, following their recovery
hypersensitivity in the basal ganglia is linked to repetitive actions (compulsions)
orbitofrontal cortex
this region converts sensory information into thoughts and actions
PET scans have found higher activity in the orbitofrontal cortex in patients with OCD
could be that heighetened activity in this area increases the conversion of sensory information to actions which results in compulsions
evaluation
strength- supporting research found that when basal ganglia is disconnected from the frontal cortex during surgery, OCD like symptoms are reduced, providing further support for the role of the basal ganglia in OCD. also a review of brain scans shows elevated activity in orbital region has been found consistently in OCD patients
limitation- findings not completely reliable as some studies show no difference in brain anatomy between old patients and controls. the research is correlational so only associations are identified between elevated brain activity and OCD. cannot be sure of cause and effect.
general evaluation
deterministic
practical application- drug therapies have been produced which has economic benefits
alternate explanation- two processes model proposed by behaviourists
treatment
drug therapy
anti depressant drugs are used to reduce the anxiety associated with OCD
SSRI's
work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin ONLY, after it has fired, this prolongs its activity and increases the availability of serotonin to excite neighbouring brain cells
evaluation
appropriateness- may not be appropriate due to side effects like hallucinations, erection problems and raised blood pressure. may diminish effectiveness of drug treatments as patients may stop taking these meds if they experience these side effects
implications- cost effective compared to CBT and mean people can return to work and improve economy
criticised for treating symptoms and not cause as once patients stop taking drug prone to relapse so psychological treatments may be a more effective long term solution