Schizophrenia

Question 1

WHat is schizophrenia classified as?

Answer 1

A psychotic disorder.

Question 2

Prevalence of Schizophrenia?

Answer 2

1 in 100.

Question 3

Who is the most important scientist for schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Emil Kraeplin

Question 4

What did Emil Kraeplin call it?

Answer 4

Dementia Praecox

Question 5

Who replaced the old name?

Answer 5

Eugen Bleuler.

Question 6

What are positive symptoms?

Answer 6

Positive symptoms are normal things but are extremely higher.

Question 7

What are negative symptoms?

Answer 7

Negative symptoms are normal things that are loss.

Question 8

What are cognitive symptoms?

Answer 8

Cognitive symptoms are symptoms that are characterized by erratic changes in speech, motor behavior, and emotions.

Question 9

What are some positive symptoms?

Answer 9

1. Delusions
2. Hallucinations

Question 10

What are the negative symptoms?

Answer 10

1. Apathy (inability to perform basic tasks)
2. Autism (keep to oneself, lose interest in others)
3. Ambivalence (emotional and social withdrawal)
4. Ahedonia (without pleasure)
5. Affective Flattening (absence of visible emotions)

Question 11

What are cognitive symptoms?

Answer 11

1. Disorganized speech (word salad)
2. Inappropriate affect (inappropriate emotions in a situation)
3. Disorganized behavior (motor symptoms: catatonic immobility)

Question 12

DSM-5 Diagnostic criteria

Answer 12

1. Long-lasting
2. Diminished level of function
3. Not due to drugs or other medical conditions
4. At least one of delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech.

Question 13

What is the prodromal stage?

Answer 13

1-2 years earlier.

Question 14

Prognosis of schizophrenia?

Answer 14

78% of people go through relapse and recovery.

Question 15

What is the etiology of schizophrenia?

Answer 15

There is a genetic link to schizophrenia.

Question 16

What are the perinatal factors?

Answer 16

1. Fetal exposure to influenza or other viruses
2. Prenatal nutrition/stress
3. Complications in pregnancy/delivery

Question 17

What is the difference in brain structure?

Answer 17

1. Schizophrenia patients show enlarged lateral ventricles. (Cause or consequence unknown)
2. Decrease brain mass (maybe because of cell density loss?)

Question 18

What do post-mortem brains from schizophrenia patients show?

Answer 18

1. Reduced dendritic spine density in schizophrenia patient
2. Reduced synaptic contact in the prefrontal cortex

Question 19

What about the hippocampus?

Answer 19

1. Reduction of hippocampus size due to degradation over time.
2. Hippocampus neurons are disorganized and have reduced cell volume.

Question 20

What is the main drug for treating schizophrenia?

Answer 20

Chlorpromazine,

Question 21

What is unique about the drugs?

Answer 21

They reduce psychotic symptoms without producing too much general sedation.

Question 22

What is the mechanism of action of first-generation drugs?

Answer 22

D2 receptor blocker/antagonist to dopamine receptors/stop dopamine to enter neuron.

Question 23

What is the first gen theory of schizophrenia?

Answer 23

Too much dopamine.

Question 24

What is schizophrenia caused by?

Answer 24

Prenatal problems that later in development get disrupted/alter hippocampus development.

Question 25

What are positive symptoms caused by?

Answer 25

Excessive stimulation of dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum.

Question 26

What relieves positive symptoms?

Answer 26

Blocking dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum with drugs like chlorpromazine.

Question 27

What part of brain is the most important for schizophrenia?

Answer 27

Dopamine D2 receptors are found in several places, but it seems that the striatum is the most important for schizophrenia.

Question 28

Which imaging technique can see the D2 receptors?

Answer 28

PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography)

Question 29

What can mimic psychosis?

Answer 29

Use of cocaine or amphetamines.

Question 30

What about the D1 receptors?

Answer 30

Schizophrenia may also involve under-stimulation of dopamine D1 receptors in the prefrontal cortex.

Question 31

What is the D1 receptor problem called?

Answer 31

Hypofrontality

Question 32

What does hypofrontality cause?

Answer 32

Struggle with planning, problem-solving, and high-level reasoning.

Question 33

What is hypofrontality?

Answer 33

Hypofrontality too little activation in the prefrontal cortex.

Question 34

How does stopping drugs affect schizophrenia?

Answer 34

It destroys stability.