Mental Disorders

Question 1

What are mood and anxiety disorders?

Answer 1

Extremes in brain states

Question 2

What is schizophrenia in simple terms?

Answer 2

A loss of contact with reality, a disrupt or of thought, perception, mood, and movement

Question 3

How common is schizophrenia? How about likelihood between sexes?

Answer 3

~1% in adults, 2x more likely in men

Question 4

When does schizophrenia usually show in men?

Answer 4

Adolescence

Question 5

When does schizophrenia usually show in females?

Answer 5

Later in life

Question 6

What are the 3 symptom clusters for schizophrenia?

Answer 6

Positive, negative, and cognitive

Question 7

Are all 3 clusters of symptoms exhibited by patients at one time?

Answer 7

No

Question 8

What are positive symptoms?

Answer 8

Symptoms that are NOT present in healthy people
- delusions
- hallucinations

Question 9

What are negative symptoms?

Answer 9

Impairments of normal functions
- reduced expression of emotion
- social withdrawal
- impoverished thought and speech
- lack of motivation

Question 10

What are cognitive symptoms?

Answer 10

Impairment to working memory and executive function (so hard to treat)

Question 11

How important is genetics in schizophrenia?

Answer 11

REALLY fucking important

Question 12

What percent of identical twins get schizophrenia?

Answer 12

50%

Question 13

Why don’t 100% of twins get schizophrenia?

Answer 13

Other factors need to turn the harmful genes on

Question 14

What are other factors affecting schizophrenia?

Answer 14

Epigenetics and environmental factors (like drugs n shit)

Question 15

What is the dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 15

Schizophrenia is caused by too MUCH dopamine (believed cus drugs that release tons of dopamine cause psychotic effects)

Question 16

What are treatments that target the dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 16

D2 receptor antagonists

Question 17

What is the Dopamine Imbalance Hypothesis?

Answer 17

Too much DA in the Mesolithic DA pathway and too little in the mesocortical DA pathway

Question 18

What does the Substantia Nigra do?

Answer 18

Project axons to the striatum, initiate voluntary movement, degeneration of which causes PD

Question 19

What is the VTA?

Answer 19

Ventral tagmental area

Question 20

What two pathways do the VTA give rise to?

Answer 20

Mesolithic DA system (to nucleus accumbens which plays a part in reward and addiction)
Mesocortical dopamine system which goes to the prefrontal cortex

Question 21

What is the neuro developmental hypothesis?

Answer 21

Early life stresses increase risk of schizophrenia

Question 22

What is the evidence for the neuro developmental hypothesis?

Answer 22

Patients showing less gray matter in prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, amygdala, hippocampus, and enlarged ventricles which many believe happen during in utero

Question 23

What are some of treatments for schizophrenia?

Answer 23

• antipsychotic drugs (diminish positive symptoms)
• no meds benefit the cognitive symptoms
• d2 receptor antagonists
• Lithium
• 2nd and 3rd gen APs

Question 24

What are some symptoms of D2 receptor antagonists?

Answer 24

• dystopia (muscle spasms)
• akathisia (motor restlessness)
• Parkinsonism (rigidity and tremor)
• tardive dyskinesia (jerky movements)

Question 25

What are some 2nd generation APs?

Answer 25

- 5 HT and D2 antagonists - better side effects - works on positive AND negative symptoms

Question 26

What are some third generation APs?

Answer 26

Partial agonists of D2 receptors - use supported by DA imbalance hypothesis

Question 27

What percent of the population has an anxiety disorder?

Answer 27

15-20%

Question 28

Is anxiety genetic?

Answer 28

It tends to express in families

Question 29

What characterizes anxiety disorders?

Answer 29

An inappropriate expression of fear that prevents normal function

Question 30

What are 4 types of anxiety disorders?

Answer 30

Panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorders, and phobias

Question 31

What is the HPA axis?

Answer 31

Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, Adrenal

Question 32

What does the hypothalamus do in regards to anxiety?

Answer 32

It releases corticotropin releasing hormone in response to stress

Question 33

What does the pituitary gland do in regards to anxiety?

Answer 33

Releases a hormone in response to CRH

Question 34

What does the adrenal gland do in regards to anxiety?

Answer 34

Releases cortisol which triggers fight or flight in response to the hormone the pituitary released

Question 35

How do the amygdala and hippocampus regulate the HPA axis?

Answer 35

In a push pull fashion Amygdala - excites HPA Hippocampus - inhibits HPA Cortisol - Excites hippocampus

Question 36

What do benzodiazepines do?

Answer 36

Theyre a sedative-hypnotic class of CNS - sedates and decreases cognitive function - acts on GABA receptors - enhances GABA receptors - suppresses stress response

Question 37

What do SSRIs do?

Answer 37

Prolong actions of synaptic 5-HT by BLOCKING reuptake - takes a while to work - does not work for acute episodes - side effects: feeling sick, insomnia, loss of libido

Question 38

Describe OCD

Answer 38

Obsessive thoughts and compulsions

Question 39

What are some characteristics of OCD?

Answer 39

Intrusive thoughts that are recurring Repetitive rituals regarding your obsession Feel no control over them

Question 40

What is PTSD?

Answer 40

Having lots of flashbacks about a traumatic event that can lead to avoidance of stimuli, emotional distress, irritability, and increased suicide and substance abuse

Question 41

What do both anxiety disorders and affective disorders have in common?

Answer 41

Negative emotional states, overlapping risk factors, and 60% of patients with MDD suffering from an anxiety disorder, and anxiety often precedes depression

Question 42

What defines MDD?

Answer 42

Recurring episodes of dysphasia and negative thinking

Question 43

What is the monoamine hypothesis?

Answer 43

That mood disorders come from depleted levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine

Question 44

What supports the monoamine hypothesis?

Answer 44

MAO inhibitors working and reserpine GIVING depression (cus it decreases those levels)

Question 45

What are the limitations of the monoamine hypothesis?

Answer 45

Antidepressants take a while to work even though they affect NT’s immediately, other drugs increase NTs but not good for antidepressants

Question 46

What are some treatments MDD?

Answer 46

Psychotherapy and antidepressants

Question 47

What are 4 types of antidepressants?

Answer 47

Tricyclics (reuptake inhibitors of 5-HT and norep) MAOIs (Inhibit breakdown of NTs) SSRIs and SNRIs (prevents 5-HT reuptake) Atypical antidepressants

Question 48

What are ECT and DBS?

Answer 48

ECT - shocks DBS - electrodes placed in the head to stimulate BA25 to release NT

Question 49

What are the two types of Bipolar Disorder?

Answer 49

Manic and hypomanic

Question 50

What is the difference between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2?

Answer 50

1: Manic episodes (with or without) 2: associated w MDD

Question 51

What is hypomania?

Answer 51

Increase in efficiency, accomplishment, and creativity

Question 52

Can mania or hyper mania contain psychotic symptoms?

Answer 52

Mania

Question 53

What are some treatments of BPD?

Answer 53

Lithium, anticonvulsants, and atypical antipsychotics

Question 54

What pathway is involved in substance use disorders?

Answer 54

Mesolimbic DA Pathways

Question 55

What are the two important organs in the mesolimbic DA pathway?

Answer 55

VTA and NAcc, important for reward and reinforcing effects

Question 56

What are 3 treatments for Alcohol?

Answer 56

Antabuse (blocks breakdown of alcohol and gets u sick) Natlrexone (opioid receptor antagonist) Acamprosate (helps withdrawal)

Question 57

What are 3 treatments for opioids?

Answer 57

Methadone (substitute but reduces the high) Suboxone (substitutes but reduces high) Naltrexone (antagonist that prevents high)

Question 58

What’s a treatment for cigarette smoking?

Answer 58

Nicotine replacement therapy