schizophrenia and affective disorders Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is schizophrenia and when does it typically onset?
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder involving a loss of contact with reality, typically beginning in adolescence or early adulthood.
Who coined the term ‘split mind’ in reference to schizophrenia?
Bleuler (1911) coined the term ‘split mind’ to describe schizophrenia, referring to a break in reality rather than multiple personalities.
What are the three categories of schizophrenia symptoms?
Positive (e.g., hallucinations), Negative (e.g., avolition), and Cognitive (e.g., disorganised thinking).
What brain structural abnormality is consistently found in schizophrenia?
Ventricular enlargement—ventricles are approximately 130% larger than in healthy controls.
What did Davis et al. (1995) find about twin concordance in schizophrenia?
Monochorionic MZ twins had 60% concordance, while dichorionic twins had only 10.7% concordance.
Name some environmental risk factors for schizophrenia.
Cannabis use, prenatal infection, birth month, childhood trauma, and chronic stress (Coury et al., 2023).
What is the dopamine hypothesis in schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia involves overactive dopamine systems, especially in the mesolimbic pathway, contributing to positive symptoms.
How did antipsychotic drug observations support the dopamine hypothesis?
Drugs like chlorpromazine reduce psychosis by blocking dopamine receptors.
What did Fibiger (1991) suggest about paranoid delusions?
They may result from overactivity in the amygdala, involved in fear and emotion.
What did Snyder (1974) report about the early phase of schizophrenic episodes?
Patients often feel elated at the onset of an episode.
What does the NMDA theory suggest in schizophrenia?
Glutamate hypoactivity in the prefrontal cortex may impair cognitive functions.
What does the serotonin theory propose?
Serotonin dysfunction may disrupt cognition and contribute to schizophrenia (Stahl, 2018).
What are some non-medication treatments for schizophrenia?
CBT, art therapy, and other psychosocial interventions.
What distinguishes affective disorders from schizophrenia?
Affective disorders involve mood disruptions, while schizophrenia includes psychosis and different neurological patterns.
What are common symptoms of depression and mania?
Depression: low energy, anhedonia, appetite/sleep issues. Mania: euphoria, impulsivity, reduced need for sleep.
What are the main types of affective disorders?
Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Seasonal Affective Disorder.
What were Gershon et al. (1976) findings on affective disorder concordance?
MZ twins: 69% concordance; DZ twins: 13%.
What did Rosenthal (1971) find about familial risk of affective disorders?
Close relatives of sufferers are 10 times more likely to develop affective disorders.
What did Price (1968) find about twins raised apart?
Concordance rates were similar regardless of whether twins were raised together or apart.
What does the monoamine hypothesis propose?
Depression results from deficiencies in monoamines like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Do dopamine agonists help in depression?
No, dopamine agonists do not relieve depressive symptoms.
What are some non-drug treatments for depression?
CBT, cognitive neuropsychology interventions, exercise, and light therapy (for SAD).
