Topic 2 Medical Model

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

• Biomedical model views disorders as being the result of biological malfunctions/disruption
• treatment reduce the effects of those malfunctions biologically through drugs, surgery etc

Question 2

Monoamines in Depression

Answer 2

Neurotransmitters called monoamines includes serotonin, noradrenaline &dopamine.

• Dopamine regulates our mood
• Noradrenaline is implicated in activity levels.
• Serotonin controls activity of dopamine &noradrenaline.

Question 3

Hypothesis of monoamines in Depression

Answer 3

1) Reduction in serotonin levels (follow stressful events)-failure to regulate dopamine &noradrenaline-disrupts moos&activity levels.
2) Disruption of monoamines levels-High level of enzymes that breaks down monoamines-reduce their actions&disrupts the passage of information around the brain.

Question 4

Dopamine in schizophrenia

Answer 4

1) Excess of dopamine in centres of the brain responsible for speech may cause hallucinations of voices.
2) Low activity of dopamine in pre frontal cortex(thinking&decision making) May explain symptoms such as apathy and incoherent thought or speech.

Question 5

Genetic explanations?

Answer 5

• Genes are sections of DNA that contains instructions for producing physical structures including the brain, neurotransmitters &enzymes that breaths them down.
• it can influence the nature of physical structures of chemical level in the nervous system.

Question 6

Genetic Vulnerability in Depression

Answer 6

-Stressful life events-Depression.
Genes may effect how resilient &vulnerable we are.
Eg; serotonin transporter gene comes in 3 (long-long, long-short, short-short), short-short leads to inefficient serotonin production. Less resilient to the effects is stress &are more vulnerable to respond to stress with depression.

Question 7

Genetic vulnerability in schizophrenia

Answer 7

• Can be genetically influenced-family member.
• polygenic- influenced by over 100 genes
• aetiologically heterogeneous- different combination of factors can lead to similar symptoms

Question 8

Brain abnormality in Depression

Answer 8

• Studies suggested frontal lobe is involved in thinking.
  1) Coffey et al-mean frontal lobe volume in depressed patient smaller.
  2) milo et al-frontal lobe in depressed patients don’t draw on blood flow in the brain as they normally do-hyper fusion.

Question 9

Brain abnormalities in schizophrenia?

Answer 9

1) Pardon et al-Involves problem with left hemisphere.
2) jackel et al-Negative correlation between activity levels in ventral striatum&severity of negative symptoms.
3) Allen at al-Low activation levels in superior temporal gyrus &anterior cingulate gyrus- Hallucinations

Question 10

Aim of Gottesman?

Answer 10

Compare vulnerability to mental illness of offspring with one or both parents having a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Question 11

Sample

Answer 11

• 2.7million danish people
• 196 couples schizophrenia; 280 children
• 83 couples bipolar disorder: 146 children

Question 12

Design

Answer 12

Cohort study

Natural experiment

Question 13

IV&DV?

Answer 13

• IV parental schizophrenia/Bipolar disorder-operationalised in accordance with ICD.
• DV diagnosis of any mental illness in offspring- operationalised ICD

Question 14

Results

Answer 14

• schizophrenia & bipolar diagnosis by BOTH parents increased chance of offspring getting a diagnosis(27.3% schizophrenia &24.95% bipolar).
• diagnosis for mental illness in general (schizophrenia 67.5% &44.2%).

Question 15

Conclusion

Answer 15

Both parents with serious mental illness increases the risk of their offspring developing not only that disorder but mental illness in general

Question 16

What’s MAOI’s?

Answer 16

Monoamines oxidase inhibitors; prevent breakdown of serotonin,Noradrenaline & dopamine so they build up

Question 17

What’s Tricyclics ?

Answer 17

Prevent serotonin and noradrenaline being transformed after they have crossed a synapse increasing their levels

Question 18

What’s SSRI’s?

Answer 18

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Eg; Prozac and Seroxat
Stop serotonin being re absorbed and broken down after it arises a synapse

Question 19

What’s NRI’s?

Answer 19

Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors

Stops noradrenaline being reabsorbed and broken down after it has crossed a synapse

Question 20

What’s ECT(electro convulsive therapy)?

Answer 20

• For Depression
• administering electric shock to the head,inducing a seizure.
• Modern use: small shocks short period given under anaesthetics and given drugs to prevent broken bones