Table of Contents
What is the biological explanation of OCD?
Neural explanations: Low levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) leads to impaired transmission of mood-relevant information, leading to a lowered mood. Low levels of serotonin are also linked to obsessive thoughts. Abnormal frontal lobe functioning leads to impaired decision-making, leading to symptoms of OCD. Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is an anxiety disorder which, like many anxiety disorders, is marked by low levels of serotonin. Serotonin, a type of neurotransmitter, has a variety of functions that make a deficiency a serious and anxiety producing issue. Is OCD Caused by a Chemical Imbalance? Changes in the neurochemical serotonin, as well as in the neurochemicals dopamine and glutamate, are likely present in OCD. Indeed, medications like the antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) improve symptoms for many people. Individuals with OCD often have certain chemical imbalances present in the brain. Changes in the neurochemicals serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate are normally present in OCD cases. Genetic explanations for OCD suggest that individuals inherit specific genes that cause OCD. Two genes that have been linked to OCD are the COMT gene and SERT gene. The SERT gene (also known as the 5-HTT gene) affects the transport of serotonin and can cause lower levels of serotonin, which is also associated with OCD. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a commonly overlooked cause of psychiatric and even some neurological illnesses. Common neuropsychiatric illnesses associated with B12 deficiency are dementia, neuropathies, depression, and irritability. Authors concluded that OCD was an early manifestation of B12 deficiency.
Is there a biological basis for OCD?
[2] There is strong evidence for a biological basis of OCD, including occurrence in other neurological disorders, response to specific neurotropic medications, and neuroimaging studies implicating cortico–striatal–thalamic neural circuits. Researchers know that OCD is triggered by communication problems between the brain’s deeper structures and the front part of the brain. These parts of the brain primarily use serotonin to communicate. This is why increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain can help to alleviate OCD symptoms. A standard treatment for OCD involves exposure and response prevention (ERP). This involves the patient confronting their worst fears while learning to not perform their compulsions. For example, it may include touching a toilet seat and not being allowed to wash your hands. Glutamate is the principal neurotransmitter implicated in the CSTC model of OCD.
What is the root cause of OCD?
Experts aren’t sure of the exact cause of OCD. Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood. But, it can also start in childhood. The development of OCD stems from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, though the balance of these influences is still somewhat undiscerned. Only one study (Hsieh et al., 2014) including five patients with OCD determined dopamine synthesis, and it found that dopamine synthesis decreased throughout the brain. Multiple neurotransmitter systems were involved in the mechanism of OCD according to former studies. Organization. Possibly the most recognizable form of OCD, this type involves obsessions about things being in precisely the right place or symmetrical. Functional imaging studies have reported with remarkable consistency hyperactivity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and caudate nucleus of patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
What two genes are linked to OCD?
Four genes identified to be significantly associated with OCD include NRXN1 and HTR2A genes and the CTTNBP2 and REEP3 genes. OCD is familial and heritable2,3,4,5. In children and adolescents, genetic effects account for most of the variance (heritability estimates of 45–65%)6 and the stability of symptoms across development7, with common environment only playing a role in early adolescence8,9. Brain scans may be helpful in showing the differences in the structure and function of brain regions in individuals with OCD. Such studies can provide new targets for the treatment of OCD. Background: Serotonin may play a role in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) because of the anti-obsessional effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Functional neurology also addresses OCD by calming that emotional limbic response. Retraining the motor patterns initiated by the basal ganglia, indirectly retrains the cognitive (thought) patterns that are also produced by the basal ganglia.
Is OCD a neurological disorder or psychological?
Once thought to be psychodynamic in origin, OCD is now generally recognized as having a neurobiological cause. Although the exact pathophysiology of OCD in its pure form remains unknown, there are numerous reports of obsessive-compulsive symptoms arising in the setting of known neurological disease. The most widely accepted model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assumes brain abnormalities in the affective circuit, mainly consisting of volume reduction in the medial orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate and temporolimbic cortices, and tissue expansion in the striatum and thalamus. OCD and Traumatic Brain Injury. In addition to changes in cognitive function, behavior, and mobility, TBI can trigger symptoms of OCD including obsessions and compulsions. OCD following a TBI usually occurs soon, if not immediately, after the event has taken place. According to the Association for Comprehensive Neurotherapy, a diet rich in whole grains and protein may be beneficial for reducing symptoms of OCD and preventing anxious reactions.
Which hormone is responsible for OCD?
Some research studies have found evidence to suggest that oxytocin is associated with OCD. We review the growing evidence that suggests oxytocin and gonadal steroids might play a role in the pathogenesis of some forms of OCD. Experts aren’t sure of the exact cause of OCD. Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood. But, it can also start in childhood. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 2% of the populations of children and adults. Family aggregation studies have demonstrated that OCD is familial, and results from twin studies demonstrate that the familiality is due in part to genetic factors. Vitamin B12 and folate are thought to be effective in OCD treatment due to their associations with neurotransmitters. Depending on their antioxidant effect, zinc and selenium can be used in augmentation therapy for OCD. OCD is a common disorder that affects adults, adolescents, and children all over the world. Most people are diagnosed by about age 19, typically with an earlier age of onset in boys than in girls, but onset after age 35 does happen.