OCD - Characteristics and Biological Explanations

Which of the following in not an emotional characteristic of OCD?

• Anxiety

• Lowered mood

• Guilt

• Compulsion

For a diagnosis to be made, obsessions and/or compulsions must be present on most days for at least how many weeks?

• Two weeks

• Three weeks

• Four weeks

• Five weeks

Obsessions are i________ thoughts that are often inappropriate.

Draw the cycle of OCD

Which of these is a true statement concerning OCD?

• OCD does not run in families

• OCD involves just one gene

• OCD is caused by a combination of different genes

• OCD is caused by just by one neurotransmitter

Which of these would not suggest a genetic basis for OCD for a person?

• OCD runs in their family

• They have an identical twin with OCD

• A brain scan shows the caudate nucleus is damaged

• They have had a recent trauma

The diathesis ______ model suggests that genes only create a vulnerability for OCD and environment factors affect whether the condition develops or not.

Which two are relevant criticisms of the biological explanation of OCD?

• Other known causes of OCD, such as trauma, are ignored

• Most of the research is correlational

• There are many studies which show anatomical differences in those with OCD

• Concordance rates for OCD are higher in MZs than DZs

The brain circuit closely linked to OCD is the o____________ cortex, caudate nucleus and thalamus loop.

Dysfunction in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is thought to contribute to OCD because it:

• Prevents emotional processing

• Fails to detect worry-inducing stimuli

• Sends excessive worry signals about potential threats

• Inhibits motor responses