Carlson (SZ Contemporary) 4 Marks

Question 1

Aims

Answer 1

Review the evidence for and against the dopamine hypothesis of Schizophrenia.

To consider the role of other neurotransmitters in schizophrenia such as glutamate, serotonin, GABA.

Explore new antipsychotics especially for those classed as treatment resistant or those who experience extreme side effects.

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

Excess dopamine may be a by-product of dysfunction of some other neurotransmitter, also an excess in one area may be compensating for a deficiency in some other area

Question 3

Method

Answer 3

Literature review

33 studies (14 of which was his own)

The studies contained evidence from brain scans and animal studies

Looked at evidence from recreation drugs known as psychosis.

Reviewing if there was a link with amphetamines, PCPs with SZ as had been previously linked

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

• there is constant and continual evidence for the dopamine hypothesis by PET scans. (Which showed that amphetamines, which increase dopamine levels enhance SZ symptoms with SZ group more than control group).
• neurotransmitter interact and effect eachother. PCPs and Ketamine produce psychotic symptoms that don’t trigger dopamine production but glutamate receptors that produce SZ like symptoms.
• glutamate regulates dopamine by accelerating it’s activity of breaking its activity
• hypogutamatergia (low levels of glutamate) seems to result in both positive and negative symptoms. Which abnormal levels in verbal cortex (negative) and striatum (positive)
• hyperglutamateriga (high levels of glutamate) creates positive symptoms in the sub- cortical basical glanglia.

Question 5

Conclusions

Answer 5

Dopamine cause SZ symptoms but so does GABA, glutamate and other neurotransmitters

Hyperglutamateriga and hypomateriga cause SZ like symptoms

Question 6

Strengths

Answer 6

• highly ethical as it’s a literature review
• larger array of littiture with a high variety of evidence
• hoslist veiw of the biological causes for SZ
• quantative and scientific data

Question 7

Weaknesses

Answer 7

He didn’t do all the studies so he can’t ensure the results from then are valid and have credibility

Some of the studies where his so the results and conclusions could be effected by research bias

• paper were chosen so results could be due to research bias
• generalisability issues with some studies using animals