The Biological approach to explaining OCD - Neural explanations
- Created by: Rosiem2102
- Created on: 21-03-18 17:11
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- Neural explanations
- The role of serotonin
- If a person has low levels of serotonin then normal transmission doesn't take place and mood/other mental processes are affected
- One explanation concerns the role of serotonin - believed to help regulate mood
- Some cases of OCD may be explained by a reduction in the functioning of the serotonin system in the brain
- Neurotransmitters are responsible for relaying information from one neuron to another
- Decision-making systems
- May be associated with abnormal functioning of the lateral of the frontal lobes of the brain
- Evidence to suggest that the left parahippocampal gyrus (associated with processing unpleasant emotions) functions abnormally in OCD
- The frontal lobes are the front part of the brain responsible for logical thinking and decision making
- Some cases of OCD seem to be associated with impaired decision making
- Genes associated with OCD are likely to affect the levels of key neurotransmitters as well as structures of the brain
- Evaluation
- There is some supporting evidence
- Some antidepressants work purely on the serotonin system, increasing levels of neurotransmitter
- Effective in reducing OCD symptoms, suggesting that the serotonin system is involved in OCD
- OCD symptoms form part of a number of other symptoms that are biological in origin
- Suggests that biological processes that cause the symptoms may also be responsible for OCD
- It is not clear exactly which neural mechanisms are involved
- Studies of decision making have shown that these neural systems are the ones that function abnormally in OCD (Cavedini et al. 2002)
- Research has also identified other brain systems that may be involved sometimes but no system has been found that always plays a role
- We should not assume that neural mechanisms cause OCD
- Evidence suggests that various neurotransmitters and structures of the brain do not function normally in patients with OCD
- Not the same as saying that this is the cause
- Could be a result
- There is some supporting evidence
- The role of serotonin
- Evaluation extra
- The serotonin-OCD link may simply be co-morbidity with depression
- Many people who suffer from OCD become depressed
- Having two disorders together is called co-morbidity
- Probably involves disruption to the serotonin system
- Leaves us with a logical problem when it comes to the serotonin system as a possible basis for OCD
- Could simply be that the serotonin system is disrupted in many patients with OCD because they are depressed as well
- Twin studies are flawed as genetic evidence
- Twin studies are a standard source of evidence for genetic influence
- Makes the assumption that identical twins are more similar in terms of their genes, but overlook that it may be because of shared environments
- The serotonin-OCD link may simply be co-morbidity with depression
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