Comments on: Obsessive Behavior and the FKBP12 Gene http://www.blisstree.com/articles/obsessive-behavior-and-the-fkbp12-gene/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:04:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Phil Schwarz http://www.blisstree.com/articles/obsessive-behavior-and-the-fkbp12-gene/comment-page-1/#comment-562576 Phil Schwarz Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:40:41 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/?p=4026#comment-562576 Martijn Dekker once pointed out a very sensible metric by which to distinguish OCD obsessions from autistic fixations: OCD obsessional thoughts are *unwanted* by the person thinking them, but autistic fixational thoughts are pleasurable and *wanted* by the person thinking them. Martijn Dekker once pointed out a very sensible metric by which to distinguish OCD obsessions from autistic fixations: OCD obsessional thoughts are *unwanted* by the person thinking them, but autistic fixational thoughts are pleasurable and *wanted* by the person thinking them.

]]> By: chaoticidealism http://www.blisstree.com/articles/obsessive-behavior-and-the-fkbp12-gene/comment-page-1/#comment-565179 chaoticidealism Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:27:02 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/?p=4026#comment-565179 If we're talking about "fearful memory" here, then this probably applies to OCD, but not to autism. OCD is an anxiety disorder, and the repetitive behaviors in OCD are meant to reduce anxiety. To somebody with OCD, they're embarrassing and time-consuming; but every time a repetitive behavior calms anxiety, it reinforces the activity. That's far different from the calming, entertaining, and generally pleasurable effect an autistic person gets from stimming or engaging in special interests. For those, I think you'd have to look at both sensory processing and the processing of pleasure and reward. Longer "fearful memory" may occur in autistics more often, but only incidental to the prevalence of PTSD. Now, if we could get mice which deliberately sought out certain sensations (it's not unknown in animals--one of my cat likes making sounds by scraping his paws across things; another loves to lick fabric)... then I might think we had a model for stimming in autism. If we’re talking about “fearful memory” here, then this probably applies to OCD, but not to autism. OCD is an anxiety disorder, and the repetitive behaviors in OCD are meant to reduce anxiety. To somebody with OCD, they’re embarrassing and time-consuming; but every time a repetitive behavior calms anxiety, it reinforces the activity.

That’s far different from the calming, entertaining, and generally pleasurable effect an autistic person gets from stimming or engaging in special interests. For those, I think you’d have to look at both sensory processing and the processing of pleasure and reward. Longer “fearful memory” may occur in autistics more often, but only incidental to the prevalence of PTSD.

Now, if we could get mice which deliberately sought out certain sensations (it’s not unknown in animals–one of my cat likes making sounds by scraping his paws across things; another loves to lick fabric)… then I might think we had a model for stimming in autism.

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