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What type of disorder is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder.
Which of the following are characteristic of OCD?
a) Low mood, sadness and lack of motivation
b) Fear, panic and avoidance
c) Persistent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours
c.
OCD is characterised by persistent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours.
Which of the following is an example of an obsessive thought?
a) 'Everybody hates me'
b) 'If I don't switch the light on and off 50 times something terrible will happen'
c) 'Nothing ever goes right for me'
b.
'If I don't switch the light on and off 50 times something terrible will happen', is an example of an obsessive thought.
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What type of disorder is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder.
Which of the following are characteristic of OCD?
a) Low mood, sadness and lack of motivation
b) Fear, panic and avoidance
c) Persistent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours
c.
OCD is characterised by persistent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours.
Which of the following is an example of an obsessive thought?
a) 'Everybody hates me'
b) 'If I don't switch the light on and off 50 times something terrible will happen'
c) 'Nothing ever goes right for me'
b.
'If I don't switch the light on and off 50 times something terrible will happen', is an example of an obsessive thought.
What is the difference between obsessions and compulsions?
Obsessions take the form of intrusive, persistent thoughts; compulsions take the form of repetitive behaviours.
True or False?
Guilt and disgust are examples of cognitive characteristics of OCD.
False.
Guilt and disgust are examples of emotional characteristics of OCD.
Behavioural characteristics of OCD include compulsions which tend to be and -consuming.
Behavioural characteristics of OCD include compulsions which tend to be repetitive and time-consuming.
One coping mechanism to deal with the cognitive characteristics of OCD is for the person to use:
a) a grounding object
b) drug therapy
c) an anxiety hierarchy
d) dream therapy
a.
One coping mechanism to deal with the cognitive characteristics of OCD is for the person to use a grounding object.
E.g. a pebble or wristband to remind the person that they should stop their obsessive thoughts.
True or False?
Compulsions are performed to reduce anxiety.
True.
Compulsions are performed to reduce anxiety.
E.g. repetitive hand-washing may reassure the person with OCD that they will not contract a disease.
People with OCD are aware that their anxiety/fear is:
a) logical
b) understandable
c) imaginary
d) irrational
d.
People with OCD are aware that their anxiety/fear is irrational.
This awareness may go some way towards helping to control the fear.
A behavioural characteristic of OCD is that the person will try and situations which may their obsessive thoughts.
A behavioural characteristic of OCD is that the person will try and avoid situations which may trigger their obsessive thoughts.
What does a genetic explanation of OCD assume?
A genetic explanation of OCD assumes that the illness is heritable.
Which of the following is the most likely to be a genetic source of OCD?
a) An aunt
b) A cousin
c) A parent
d) A grandparent
c.
A parent is the most likely to be a genetic source of OCD.
The risk of developing OCD is higher for first-degree relatives i.e. the illness is highly heritable.
True or False?
OCD is caused by one single gene.
False.
OCD is polygenic: it is not caused by one single gene but by a combination of genetic variations that together cause significantly increased vulnerability to OCD.
A specific gene or group of genes may result in OCD in one person, but not for everyone with that genetic .
A specific gene variation or group of genes may result in OCD in one person, but not for everyone with that genetic profile.
OCD-relevant genes include those involved in:
a) cortisol and oxytocin pathways
b) serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways
c) acetylcholine and melatonin
b.
OCD-relevant genes include those involved in serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways.
What behaviours are both dopamine and serotonin linked to?
Both dopamine and serotonin linked to mood, emotion and motivation
Which genes have been implicated in OCD (select two):
a) the candidate gene
b) the polymorphic gene
c) the COMT gene
d) the SERT gene
c and d.
The COMT gene and the SERT gene.
The COMT gene plays a role in de-activating dopamine; the SERT gene affects the transport of serotonin.
Which studies are a good way of investigating a genetic explanation of OCD?
a) Animal studies
b) Twin studies
c) Double-blind studies
b.
Twin studies are a good way of investigating the genetic explanation of OCD.
A genetic explanation of OCD is prone to biological reductionism. Define biological reductionism
Biological reductionism explains complex behaviour such as OCD by reducing it to a physiological level e.g. genetic inheritance, ignoring environmental factors.
There is insufficient understanding of the actual genetic mechanisms surrounding OCD which means that a genetic explanation alone may lack:
a) validity
b) reliability
c) falsifiability
a,
There is insufficient understanding of the actual genetic mechanisms surrounding OCD which means that a genetic explanation alone may lack validity.
What does a neural explanation of OCD assume?
A neural explanation of OCD assumes that neurotransmitters play a role in the development of the disorder.
The two key neurotransmitters implicated in OCD are and .
The two key neurotransmitters implicated in OCD are serotonin and dopamine.
Low or disrupted levels of serotonin have been implicated in mood disorders such as:
a) phobias
b) depression
c) schizophrenia
b.
Low or disrupted levels of serotonin have been implicated in mood disorders such as depression.
Faulty information processing can be located to which part of the brain?
a) Hippocampus
b) Hypothalamus
c) Amygdala
d) Frontal cortex
d.
Faulty information processing can be located to the frontal cortex of the brain.
The frontal cortex has been linked to executive functioning (self-management, planning, organising, using logic).
Which neurotransmitter (apart from serotonin) is associated with OCD?
Dopamine is also implicated as a neural explanation of OCD.
Dopamine activity in the striatum has been linked to the development of behaviours.
Dopamine activity in the dorsomedial striatum has been linked to the development of compulsive behaviours.
True or False?
Dopamine reinforces the compulsive behaviours which are necessary to reduce obsessive thoughts.
False.
Dopamine reinforces the obsessive thoughts which are necessary to reduce compulsive behaviours.
The use of SSRIs to treat OCD supports the idea that irregular levels of serotonin are linked to the development of the disorder, which increases the theory's:
a) reliability
b) subjectivity
c) validity
c.
The use of SSRIs to treat OCD supports the idea that irregular levels of serotonin are linked to the development of the disorder, which increases the theory's validity.
SSRIs cannot treat all individuals with OCD which means that the cause of the disorder may not be solely .
SSRIs cannot treat all individuals with OCD which means that the cause of the disorder may not be solely neural.
True or False?
Research into a neural explanation of OCD tends to use objective, clinical methods such as fMRI scanning.
True.
Research into a neural explanation of OCD tends to use objective, clinical methods such as fMRI scanning.
These methods are high in reliability.
What does the biological approach to treating OCD assume?
The biological approach to treating OCD assumes that the disorder is the result of low levels of serotonin in the brain.
Low or irregular levels of serotonin may lead to an imbalance in:
a) euphoria
b) addiction
c) mood
d) energy
c.
Low or irregular levels of serotonin may lead to an imbalance in mood.
E.g. feeling down, feeling tense, feeling anxious.
An imbalance in mood may interfere with thinking and could lead to thoughts and, thus, OCD.
An imbalance in mood may interfere with rational thinking and could lead to obsessive thoughts and, thus, OCD.
What does SSRI stand for?
SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor.
What is meant by reuptake?
Reuptake occurs when molecules of serotonin do not cross the synaptic cleft and are then taken back up into the presynaptic neuron.
SSRIs work by preventing the of serotonin in the cleft back into the neuron.
SSRIs work by preventing the reuptake of serotonin in the synaptic cleft back into the presynaptic neuron.
Prevention of reuptake makes serotonin more accessible in the brain.
True or False?
SSRIs are selective because they mainly affect serotonin, not other neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
True .
SSRIs are selective because they mainly affect serotonin, not other neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
As well as SSRIs, which other drug can be used to treat OCD?
a) benzodiazepines
b) antipsychotics
c) amphetamines
d) tranquilisers
a.
As well as SSRIs, benzodiazepines can be used to treat OCD.
True or False?
Benzodiazepines are stimulant drugs, designed to increase the speed of messages between brain and body.
False.
Benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety drugs, designed to induce a feeling of calm.
E.g. one well-known brand is Valium.
Benzodiazepines encourage the transmission of:
a) mamma-aminobutyric acid (MABA)
b) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
c) bamma-aminobutyric acid (BABA)
b.
Benzodiazepines encourage the transmission of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
GABA is a a neurotransmitter which works to control neuron hyperactivity which is associated with fear, anxiety and stress.
GABA has been linked to the reduction of:
a) low mood in someone with OCD
b) hallucinations in someone with OCD
c) obsessive thoughts in someone with OCD
c.
GABA has been linked to the reduction of obsessive thoughts in someone with OCD.
True or False?
Drug therapy for OCD has positive implications for the economy.
True.
Drug therapy for OCD has positive implications for the economy.
Drugs are cheaper and more readily available than psychological treatments such as CBT which means fewer days off work and quicker return to work for those with OCD.
A limitation of drug therapy for OCD is that drugs can come with a potentially serious - .
A limitation of drug therapy for OCD is that drugs can come with a potentially serious side-effects.
There is good research support for the efficacy of drug therapy, for example in placebo-controlled trials. Define placebo-controlled trials.
A placebo-controlled trial is one in which there are two (or more) groups: one group gets the drug and the other gets the placebo. Any difference in their outcome can be attributed to the drug.
Positive results of drug trials are more likely to be published than trials in which the outcome of the drug was less successful, which is known as:
a) confirmation bias
b) publication bias
c) researcher bias
d) sample bias
b.
Positive results of drug trials are more likely to be published than trials in which the outcome of the drug was less successful, which is known as publication bias.
Drug therapy for OCD is an example of:
a) biological preparedness
b) biological determinism
c) biological reductionism
c.
Drug therapy for OCD is an example of biological reductionism.