Psychopathology: Anxiety. PTSD, OCD

Anxiety

psychological, physiological, and behavioral state induced in humans and other animals by a threat to well-being or survival, either actual or potential

phobic disorders

intense, irrational fears centered on an object, activity, or situation that a person avoids

panic disorder

recurrent transient attacks of intense fearfulness

GAD

persistent, excessive anxiety and worry

PTSD

memories of a horrible episode persist

About ____% of people who experience traumatic event develop PTSD

10

Combat-related PTSD

memory changes (amnesia)

flashbacks

deficits in short-term memory

What part of the brain is associated with PTSD?

amygdala

media prefrontal cortex

hippocampus

People with PTSD have a smaller ______, which may be a risk factor rather than a consequence

hippocampus

Anxiolytic drugs

benzodiazepines

GABAa receptors

serotonin agonists and reuptake inhibitors

benzodiazepines

bind to GABAa receptors and enhance GABA’s inhibitory actions

GABAa receptors

widely distributed, especially in the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala

Serotonin agonists and reuptake inhibitors

buspirone targets 5-HT1A receptors

SSRIs and SRNIs effective for some people

OCD

recurrent unwanted thoughts (obsessions)

engage in repetitive behaviors without reason or ability to stop (compulsions)E

Environmental factors of OCD (triggers → vulnerability)

perinatal events

stress

trauma

neuroinflammation

genetic factors of OCD (vulnerability)

gene variants

gene expression

Triggers + vulnerability → transmission of neurotransmitters for OCD →

glutamate

serotonin

dopamine

→ Neural substrates of OCD →

cortex

thalamus

striatum

→ OCD dimensions

symmetry

taboo thoughts

contamination

hoarding

Treatment options for OCD

CBT

SSRIs

SSRIs suggest that serotonin dysfunction in the _________ _______ _______ plays a major role in OCD

oritofrontal prefrontal cortex

OCD and __________ often occur together and may be related

depression

Psychosurgery may be used for ________ OCD

recalcitrant

cingulotomy (psychosurgery for OCD)

lesions made to interrupt pathways

DBS electrodes implanted in basal ganglia and _______ ______ (psychosurgery for OCD)

nucleus accumbens

Tourette’s syndrome

heightened sensitivity to tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli

Tourettes is often comorbid with OCD and ______

ADHD (both involve abnormalities of basal ganglia)

In twin studies, affected twin has more dopamine D2 receptors in the ______ ______ of the basal ganglia than the unaffected twin (Tourettes)

caudate nucleus

Treatments for tourtettes

haloperiodol

atypical antipsychotics

behavior modification

deep brain stimulation

haloperiodol

D2 receptor antagonist

Gene-wide association studies (GWAS)

are used to screen the whole genome of a person for risk of mental disorder

implicated genes are shared between types of disorders, which cluster in their ______ profile

genetic

Schizophrenia and ______ ______ share half of their predictive genetic variants

bipolar disorder