schizophrenia and affective disorders Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is schizophrenia?
-Type of psychosis
-Losing contact with reality
-Onset = adolescence and 20s
-Affects around 24 million people
What are the positive symptoms of Sz?
-Hallucinations
-Delusions
-Thought disorder
What are the negative symptoms of Sz?
-Flat emotions
-Poverty of speech
-Social withdrawal
-Anhedonia = lack of interest
What are the cognitive symptoms of Sz?
-Poor abstract thinking
-Poor problem solving
-Can’t sustain attention
-Deficit in learning and memory
What are different types of delusions?
-Persecution = feel that the government is following them
-Grandeur = thinking they are Jesus
-Control = believe they are being controlled
What is the link between ventricles and Sz?
-Enlarged ventricles
-Approx 130% larger than the size of normal ventricles
What physical characteristics can be associated with Sz?
-Head e.g. fine electric hair
-Eyes e.g. wide set eyes
-Ears e.g. low seated ears
-Mouth e.g. furrowed tongue
-Hands e.g. curved fifth finger
-Feet e.g. third toe longer than the second
What are suggested causes of Sz?
-Clear link with genetics = polygenic
-Clear link with environmental factors e.g. cannabis use, prenatal infection, childhood trauma, birth month and chronic stress
-E.g. influenza outbreak = months after found more Sz babies born
-Suggests a genetic predisposition
Describe the heritability of Sz
-David et al. (1995) found monochromic concordance as 60% and dichorionic concordance as 10.7%
-Shows clear genetic and environmental contribution
How can the dopamine hypothesis infer a treatment for Sz?
-People with Sz have almost double dopamine activity in mid gradient regions = overactivity
-Created antipsychotics which antagonise dopamine receptors
-Relieving positive symptoms e.g. chlorpromazine
-Dopamine agnosts induce positive symptoms e.g. amphetamines
-Nucleus accumbens = reward and motivation, causes symptoms to feel good
What did Fibiger (1991) find?
-Paranoid delusions were caused by activity in amygdala
-Too much dopamine in the amygdala which quicken up process
What did Snyder (1974) find?
-Elation at start of schizophrenic episode
What is the NDMA theory?
-Glutamate hypoacativity in regions involved in cognition and executive functions e.g. PFC
What is the serotonin theory?
-Dysfunction may disrupt typical cognitive abilities which are linked to Sz
What can be used as a non medication treatment for Sz?
-CBT and Art therapy
-Show big improvements in patients with Sz
-Not lowering dopamine levels etc. but can help them mentally
What are affective disorders?
-Mood disorder
-Disruption in emotions
What are the main types of affective disorders?
-Bipolar disorder
-Unipolar disorder
-Seasonal affective disorder
Describe bipolar disorder
-Alternating periods of mania and depression
-1% of population affected
-Equally frequent in men and women
Describe unipolar disorder
-Depression but no mania
-2/3 more likely in women than men
Describe seasonal affective disorder
-Depression associated with onset of winter months
What can be the symptoms of affective disorders?
-Depression = low energy, loss of appetite and sex, sleeping problems and constipation
-Mania = euphoria, delusion, lack of attention and sleep
What are the causes of affective disorders?
-Clear link with environmental factors
-Polygenic trait
-Genetic predisposition
What did Gershon et al., (1976) suggest about heritability?
-Found monozygotic concordance was 69%
-Dizygotic concordance was 13%
What did Price (1968) suggest about heritability?
-Concordance remains same whether twins are raised together or separately
