Chapter 18: Biopsychology of psychiatric disorders

Question 1

psychiatric disorders

Answer 1

disorders of psycholoigcal function sufficiently severe to require treatment

Question 2

Why are psychiatric disorders difficult to diagnose?

Answer 2

• patients suffering from the same disorder often display different symptoms
• patients suffering from different disorders often display many of the same symptoms

Question 3

What are positive symptoms vs. negative symptoms?

Answer 3

1. Symptoms that seems to represent an excess of typical function
2. Symotoms that seems to represent a reduction or loss of typical function

Question 4

What are positive symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Answer 4

• delusions
• hallucinations
• disorganized speach or thought
• odd behavior

Question 5

What are negative symtoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 5

• affective flattening
• avolition
• catatonia

Question 6

Def. affective flattening

Answer 6

dimished emotional expression (negative symptom)

Question 7

avolition

Answer 7

reduction or absence of motivation (negative symptom)

Question 8

Catatonia

Answer 8

remaining motionless, often in awkward positions for long periods (negative symptom)

Question 9

When is schizophrenia diagnosed?

Answer 9

• frequent recurrence of any two of the symptoms for 1 month
• provided that one of the symptoms is delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech.

Question 10

Causal factors of schizophrenia

Answer 10

• the probability of schizophrenia in a close biological relative
• differences in experience have a significant effect on the development
• genes have also been linked to the disorder

Question 11

Antipsychotic drugs

Answer 11

• a drug that is meant to treat certain symtpms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders

Question 12

Chlorpromazine

Answer 12

• first antipsychotic drug
• agitated patients with schizophrenia were calmed by chlorpromazine
• emotionally blunted patients with chizophrenia were activated by it

Question 13

Dopamine theory of schizophrenia

Answer 13

• schizophrenia is caused by too much dopamine
• antipsychotic drugs exert their effects by decreasing dopamine levels

Question 14

Selective binding (regarding dopamine)

Answer 14

• finding that dopamine binds to more than one dopamine receptor type

Question 15

Revision of the dopamine theory

Answer 15

• schizophrenia is caused by hyperactitivity specifically at D2 receptors
• rather than at dopmaine receptors in general

Question 16

Atypical antipsychotics

Answer 16

• second-generation antipsychotics
• drugst that are effective against schizophrenia
• but do not bind strongly to D2 receptors

Question 17

Psychedelic drugs

Answer 17

drugs whose primary action is to alter perception, amotiona and cognition

Question 18

The effects of classical hallucinogens (LSD) - schizophrenia treatment

Answer 18

• the effects of classical hallucinogens (LSD) mimic the positive symtoms of schizophrenia (hallucinations) by acting as agonsits of serotonin receptors
• dissociative halluconogens mimic the negative symotoms of schizophrenia by acting as antagonists of glutamate receptors

Question 19

Four importatn findings from studies with poeple at risk for schizophrenia

Answer 19

1. Volume reductions in some parts of the brain.
2. Extensive brain changes already exist
3. Brain changes continuw to develop after the initial diagnosis
4. Alterations to different areas of the brain develop at different rates