schizophrenia

Question 1

hallucinations

Answer 1

They are perceptual experiences that occur without an external stimulus.
Example: hearing voices without anyone seeing, seeing shadowy figures, smelling gasoline when none present, etc.
Most common hallucinations in schizophrenia are auditory hallucinations

Question 2

delusions

Answer 2

Delusions
They are fixed false beliefs that are not common in an individual’s cultural milieu and are not amenable to change even when confronted with conflicting evidence.

Question 3

Disorganized Thoughts and Behaviour
(catatonia eg.)

Answer 3

They are often diagnosed on the basis of disorganized speech
Disorganized behaviour involves behaviour that is disconnected from the physical reality around the person and seems random or dangerous.
Catatonia: a subtype of disorganized behaviour.
They are their own subtype because they appear to be linked in their presentation (symptoms often occur together) and neural underpinnings (shared basis in the brain)
catatonia stands out because of its unique and repetitive patterns, like:
Immobility or waxy flexibility (staying in the same position if someone moves you).
Repetitive, purposeless behaviour, like making the same facial expression over and over.

Question 4

Negative symptoms

Answer 4

The diminution of a part of the normal psychological experience that most people have.

Question 5

Cognitive symptoms

Answer 5

These symptoms can affect thinking, memory, and attention.
Difficulties in social cognition: Thinking specially related to social information
Ex. Difficulty identifying facial expressions

Question 6

predromal vs premorbid

Answer 6

Premorbid symptoms, which are often subtle and occur long before the onset of illness.
Prodromal symptoms, which more immediately precede the onset of psychotic symptoms.

Question 7

onset and prognosis

Answer 7

20-29, prognosis is worse then other mental disorders

Question 8

Sensory Gating

Answer 8

The neurological process of filtering out redundant or unnecessary stimuli in the environment, and more specifically, of habituation to repeated exposure to the same sensory stimulus
The brain’s ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli (e.g., ignoring background noise).
Individuals with schizophrenia show reduced sensory gating, making it hard to block out distractions + impaired executive functioning

Question 9

Genetic Vulnerability (mz twins)

Answer 9

Schizophrenia is heritable; risk increases with genetic closeness to a relative with the disorder.
Twin studies:
Monozygotic (MZ) twins: Share 100% of genes. Risk = 30–50% if one twin has schizophrenia.

Question 10

Abnormalities in Brain Structure and Function

Answer 10

Enlarged ventricles (fluid-filled cavities in the brain).
Interpreted as signs of brain shrinkage, similar to neurodegenerative diseases.

MRI Findings
MRI studies show reduced brain volume in:
Frontal, temporal, and whole brain areas.
Specific volume loss in thalamus and hippocampus → these changes are progressive and precede full symptom onset.
Hippocampus is the region that most consistently distinguishes individuals with schizophrenia from healthy controls.

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFECT MORESO THEN GENETIC

Question 11

dopamine hypothesis EVIDENCE

Answer 11

Dopamine’s Role:
Involved in connecting cortical (thinking/planning) and subcortical (emotion/reward) brain regions.
Long believed to be central to schizophrenia symptoms, especially positive symptoms.

Initial Support:
Dopamine-increasing drugs (e.g., stimulants) exacerbate psychotic symptoms.

Question 12

dopamine hypothesis (where)

Answer 12

Hyperactivity of D2 receptors in subcortical regions
Hypoactivity of D1 receptors in prefrontal cortex

Question 13

Prenatal and Obstetrical Factors (preclamsia, hyproxia, viral infec)

Answer 13

Obstetrical Complications (OCs): problems during pregnancy or labour that can affect fetal development.

Preeclampsia (high maternal blood pressure + protein in urine)

Fetal hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the fetus)

Maternal viral infection

Question 14

Clinical High Risk (CHR) State

Answer 14

Individuals who show attenuated psychotic symptoms and are at high risk (30–40%) of developing schizophrenia in the next 2 years.

Question 15

diathesis stress model

Answer 15

Diathesis: vulnerability (can be genetic or acquired, such as prenatal insults).
Stressors (e.g., trauma, malnutrition, infection) can trigger schizophrenia symptoms in someone with diathesis.

Question 16

Trauma Model

Answer 16

70% hear voices after trauma

lot of prevalence of childhood abuse in psychosis paitents (sexual, physical)

Question 17

trauma, psychosis and PTSD

Answer 17

interalized trauma = PTSD, externalized = psychosis

50%

Question 18

3 Phases (goals) of Treatment:

Answer 18

Acute phase goal: Reduce the severity of symptoms through administration of medication to control positive symptoms

Stabilization phase goal: Consolidate treatment gains and help the patient attain a stable living situation

Maintenance phase goal: Reduce residual symptoms, prevent relapse, and improve functioning

Question 19

Typical Antipsychotics

Answer 19

Dopamine antagonists (block dopamine receptors)

reduce pos but only that and can cause side effects (movement disorders)

Question 20

Atypical Antipsychotics

Answer 20

affect dopa and sere

better tolerated but still little to no effect on neg, metabolic syndrome, also movement disorders can be caused

Question 21

Family psychoeducation therapy

Answer 21

Improving family members’ knowledge of schizophrenia, and
reduces patient relapse and hospitalization rates by as much as 50%

Question 22

Assertive community treatment (ACT)

Answer 22

paitent is assigned a team when living in a community

Question 23

CBTP FOR CLINICAL HIGH RISK

Answer 23

50% Decrease in Transition to Psychosis

have a minimum of 16 sessions

Question 24

Cognitive remediation

Answer 24

Repeated practice on cognitive tasks (attention, memory).

similar for people w strokes