Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Flashcards

Flashcards about OCD used for review

Obsessions (in OCD)

Unwanted, repetitive thoughts, images, or urges that are intrusive and commonly associated with anxiety.

Compulsions (in OCD)

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform as a response to an obsession, according to rigid rules.

Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI)

A short assessment tool with 30 true/false items, assessing symptoms related to checking, washing, slowness, and doubting.

Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)

A widely used test involving a semi-structured interview and a checklist to measure the nature and severity of OCD symptoms.

Concurrent Validity (in assessment tools)

The extent to which individuals score similarly on different tests for the same disorder.

Test-retest reliability

The extent to which individuals who repeat the measure at different times are likely to get the same results; important for researchers trialing psychological interventions

Tolerance (to medication)

After a long period of time, the body's response to a particular drug may reduce,so the medication is no longer as effective

Nomothetic Approach (in diagnosis)

An approach that designs diagnostic criteria based on data collected from vast samples and aims to apply these criteria universally to everybody.

Dopamine (in OCD)

A neurotransmitter; abnormally high levels of dopamine have been found in individuals with OCD.

Serotonin (in OCD)

A neurotransmitter; research tends to show that individuals with OCD have lower than normal levels of serotonin in their brains.

SERT gene

A gene responsible for serotonin levels. A mutation of the SERT gene, leading to lower levels of serotonin, has been found in some individuals with OCD.

PTPRD and SLITRK3 genes

Genes that interact to regulate particular synapses in the brain and have been implicated in OCD.

Cognitive Obsessions (in OCD)

Faulty reasoning forms the basis of obsessive thinking.

Negative Reinforcement (in OCD)

Engaging in compulsive behaviors to alleviate obsessive thoughts (e.g., handwashing).

Anally Expulsive

When a child soils themselves in an attempt to regain control.

Anally Retentive

When a child retains faeces or urine to regain control

SSRIs

Medications used to treat OCD by blocking serotonin from being reabsorbed, thus maintaining higher serotonin levels.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

A form of CBT where individuals are exposed to stimuli that provoke obsessions and distress, while preventing compulsive behaviors.

Habituated

When a person becomes accustomed to something; frequently exposed to a certain stimulus, then over time, they become used to it.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

treatment that challenges that irrational thoughts held by the individual to bring about positive change in their emotional and behavioural responses.