Evaluating biological explanations (neural) for SZ

Question 1

A03 - supporting research?

Answer 1

P - There is research to support this apporach between neural correlates and SZ is complex.

E - McEwan (2007) argues that nurturing influences could actually instigate these structural changes in the brain.

E - Making the explanation incomplete. Children and adolescents brains are far more sensitive to chronic stressors such as prenatal stressors or physical abuse, which can relapse the structure and organisation of cortial regions.

L - This can be shown to contribute to developing SZ.

• neural correlates
• McEwan (2007)
• nurturing influences
• structural changes
• chronic stressors

Question 2

A03 - Whats a better explanation?

Answer 2

P - Better explanation could be the dopamine hypothesis.

E - More dopamine in brain is what contributes to the dev of SZ, as the D2 hypothesis describes it.

E - It’s better cause it has practical applications in drug treatments (antipsychotics) and has been successful in SZ patients with an 85% success rate of reducing dopamine by lowering dopamine transmission by blocking receptors re-uptake.

L - This shows how the explanation of D2 is more effective than neural due to the practical applications.

• alternate explanation
• D2
• antipsychotics
• 85% success rate

Question 3

A03 - Supporting research?

Answer 3

P - There is research support for neural correlation in SZ.

E - Suddeth et al (1990) suggests that there are nerual correlates for SZ. Since his study was conducted in twins, we can assume neurophysical differences cause SZ or SZ causes the differences.

E - Thus, it is is unlikely to be due to external factors since twins are genetically identical (usually grow up in similar enviorment which strengthens the nerual explanations in development SZ.

• Suddeth et al (1990)
• neural correlates
• Twins
• neurophysical differences