10- Schizophrenia Flashcards
What type of disorder is schizophrenia?
A very serious mental disorder
Can schizophrenia be treated and can people with it live normal and productive lives?
Yes
What is the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia?
0.5%
Do symptoms of schizophrenia emerge earlier in females or males?
Males
What did people used to think that schizophrenia was pretty much the same as?
Dementia
Who was the first person the coin the term schizophrenia?
Bluer
Is schizophrenia the same as split personality disorder?
No
What are positive symptoms?
Showing things that healthy people don’t have
3 examples of positive symptoms
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech
What are negative symptoms?
Lacking things that healthy people have
4 examples of negative symptoms
Flattened affect, reduced speech, lack of initiative, neglect of personal hygiene
4 things that schizophrenia has historically been associated with
Insanity, violence, stigma, discrimination
How can ‘the schizophrenia label’ affect patients?
Negatively
What is the public image of schizophrenia dominated by?
Stereotypes
What can the term ‘schizophrenic’ be incorrectly used to indicate?
Any incoherent behaviour
For a schizophrenia diagnosis, someone must have 2+ out of 5 of these symptoms…
- Delusion
- Hallucination
- Disorganised speech
- Disorganised or catatonic behaviour
- Negative symptoms
How long must someone be experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia for a diagnosis?
6+ months
What is used to diagnose schizophrenia?
The DSM-5
What is involved in a schizophrenia relapse?
Positive and negative symptoms seem to worsen and improve in cycles
What are psychotic episodes?
Periods of intense physical symptoms
3 cognitive symptoms someone may have impaired for a schizophrenia diagnosis
Attention, working memory, executive function
2 problems with the schizophrenia diagnosis criteria
- Only provides generic information
- Many patients have symptoms that don’t fit into the categories
What further research needs to be done for schizophrenia diagnoses?
Schizophrenia subtypes
What do psychiatrists need to account for when diagnosing schizophrenia?
Different factors
4 main causes of schizophrenia
- Genetic factors
- Neurodevelopmental factors
- Brain abnormalities
- Neurotransmitters
Does a single gene cause schizophrenia?
No
3 studies that show genetic causes of schizophrenia
Twin, adoption, family
What is the heritability rate of schizophrenia like?
High
What gene could be linked to schizophrenia?
D2 gene
What factors are important when determining neurodevelopmental factors?
Prenatal factors
What makes someone more vulnerable to schizophrenia?
A genetic pre-execution
3 brain abnormalities associated with schizophrenia
- Larger than average ventricles
- Reduced brain volumes
- Less brain connectivity
What is the problem with studying cause-and-effect with brain abnormalities in schizophrenia?
It is unknown whether brain differences exist before diagnosis, or whether they are due to medication
What does the dopamine hypothesis state?
Excess dopamine activity causes schizophrenia
How do drug treatments for schizophrenia work?
Agonists block D2 receptors
