Explanations for schizophrenia-Dopamine Hypothesis.

Question 1

Dopamine Hypothesis

Answer 1

Suggests neurotransmitters are responsible for schizophrenia, schizophrenia is caused by too much dopamine in the brain, it may be due to problems with inhibition, the fact that dopamine antagonists are widely used sucessfully for schizophrenia suggests that it is the cause of the disorder as reversing it reduces the symptoms

Question 2

Phenothiazines

Answer 2

-Inhibit dopamine production and treat schizophrenic symptoms

Question 3

Amphetamine, LSD

Answer 3

Increase dopamine production causing psychotic/schizophrenic symptoms

Question 4

Evidence for the dopamine hypothesis-Randruk Rat Study

Answer 4

-Induced schizophrenic symptoms in a rat by giving it amphetamines, reversed the symptoms using phenothiazines
-Artificial validity
-Cocaine/Methamphetamine in humans has been shown to cause/worsen psychotic symptoms, suggests a neurochemical basis

Question 5

Limitation-Over simplistic

Answer 5

-Reduces all behaviour to one chemical, other neurochemicals have been shown to play a role in schizophrenia, e.g Murray et al found schizophrenics had a significantly higher DMT level than non schizophrenics-serotonin and glutamate have also been implicated in the disorder-reductionist and too simplistic

Question 6

Limitation-Overlooks nurture

Answer 6

-Environmental factors have been implicated in the disorder, MORKVED-May be better explained by the diathesis stress model-may create predisposition

Question 7

Who found schizophrenics had more traumatic childhood experiences?

Answer 7

Morkved et al

Question 8

Who found schizophrenics had significantly higher levels of DMT?

Answer 8

Murray

Question 9

What does the effective use of phenioazines mean

Answer 9

That schizophrenia may be due to too much dopamine as medication that reduces dopamine alleviates the symptopms.