schizophrenia & affective disorders

Question 1

how is schizophrenia described by Bleuler (1911)

Answer 1

• described disorder as a break in reality

Question 2

identify some positive symptoms of schizophrenia

Answer 2

positive symptoms = symptoms you have

• hallucinations (mistake in perception)
• delusions (mistake in belief)
• persecution delusion (believe they are going to be harmed)
• delusions of grandeur (believes they are god)
• delusions of control (believes someone is controlling their thoughts/mind)

Question 3

identify some negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Answer 3

negative symptoms = something you lack

• poverty of speech (don’t speak)
• lack of initiative
• anhedonia (lack of enjoying things)
• social withdrawal

Question 4

identify cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia

Answer 4

• difficulty in sustaining attention
• low psychomotor speed (mental activity)
• deficits in learning and memory
• poor abstract thinking
• poor problem solving

Question 5

is schizophrenia inherited?

Answer 5

• MZ twins show 48% concordance rate
• if parents had schizophrenia = 46% chance

Question 6

describe the pharmacology of schizophrenia

Answer 6

• dopamine antagonist (chlorpromazine) diminishes positive symptoms
• evidence comes from administration of dopamine agonist inducing positive symptoms

Question 7

why do dopamine agonists induce positive symptoms?

Answer 7

two explanations

1/ nucleus accumbens

2/ the dopamine that goes to amygdala

Question 8

how does the nucleus accumbens explain schizophrenia?

Answer 8

• dopamine neurones come from ventral tegmental area
• projects neurones to nucleus accumbuns
• dopamine neurones in nucleus accumbuns strongly reinforces behaviour

Question 9

how does the dopamine that goes to amygdala explain schizophrenia?

Answer 9

• dopamine neurones come from ventral tegmental area (midbrain)
• paranoid delusions caused by activity in amygdala
• amygdala = responsible for fear responses, learning emotional responses)

Question 10

identify the three hypotheses of psychosis

Answer 10

1/ dopamine theory (only accounts for positive symptoms)

2/ NMDA theory

3/ serotonin theory

Question 11

explain the dopamine theory of psychosis

Answer 11

• suggests psychosis = due to hyperactive dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway
• mesolimbic pathway = transports dopamine from the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens and amygdala

Question 12

explain the NMDA theory of psychosis

Answer 12

• suggests psychosis = due to NDMA receptor hypofunction (abnormally low function)

Question 13

explain the serotonin theory of psychosis

Answer 13

• 5-HTT receptor hyperfunction in the cortex

Question 14

identify brain abnormalities in schizophrenia

Answer 14

• ventricular area = larger in people with schizophrenia

Question 15

what is thought to cause schizophrenia?

Answer 15

• viral infection around the second trimester
• as babies born in Feb-May found to have schizophrenia

Question 16

outline what association Schiffman et al. (2002) looked into between schizophrenia and minor physical variations

Answer 16

• found minor physical variations had a relationship with schizophrenia
• if schizophrenia has biological basis, this should translate to other things

e.g.:
- larger head
- wide set eyes
- fold in corner of eye
- asymmetrical ears

• Schiffman suggests prenatal disturbances in 1st or 2nd trimester
• when this combined with second hit (i.e.: birth complications) = increase chance of schizophrenia

Question 17

what did Davis et al. (1995) find in twins pre-natal environment?

Answer 17

• found twins that share amniotic sac/placenta (monochorionic concordance) = 60% concordance rate
• twins that don’t share placenta (dichorionic concordance) = 10.7%

Question 18

identify 4 types of affective disorders

Answer 18

• affective disorders = mood disorders

1/ depression

2/ mania

3/ bipolar disorder

4/ unipolar disorder

Question 19

outline properties of depression

Answer 19

• low energy levels
• anhedonia
• loss of appetite
• sleeping problems

Question 20

outline properties of mania

Answer 20

• euphoria
• delusional
• poor attention span
• lack of sleep

Question 21

outline properties of bipolar disorder

Answer 21

• alternating periods of mania and depression
• 1% of population effected at some point in their life

Question 22

outline properties of unipolar disorder

Answer 22

• depression without mania

Question 23

what does Rosenthal (1971) say about how more likely you are to suffer from affective disorders if close relative does?

Answer 23

• 10 times more likely to suffer

Question 24

what is the MZ concordance rate for affective disorders?

Answer 24

69%

Question 25

what is the DZ concordance rate for affective disorders?

Answer 25

13%

Question 26

outline pharmacological treatment in affective disorders (depression)

Answer 26

• MOA (monoamine oxidase) = enzyme that destroys monoamines in post synaptic nerve
• examples of monoamine = serotonin, dopamine

Question 27

what does the drug iproniazid do?

Answer 27

• inhibits MOA
• increases serotonin, dopamine

Question 28

what do tricyclic antidepressants do?

Answer 28

• agonists of serotonin and Norepinepherine
• inhibits reuptake of neurotransmitter

Question 29

what does SSRI’s do?

Answer 29

• agonists of serotonin
• inhibits reuptake of 5-HT

Question 30

what is the monoamine hypothesis?

Answer 30

• suggests that the underlying physiological cause of depression = depletion in levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine
• in the central nervous system.

Question 31

outline pharmacological treatment in affective disorders in mania

Answer 31

• lithium carbonate = used to treat mania
• thought to stabilise serotonin release

Question 32

how does REM sleep impact depression?

Answer 32

• preventing REM sleep acts as antidepressant
• effects of antidepressants = suppressed REM sleep
• this is because REM sleep regulates irregular sleep pattern that is seen in depressed people