17. Schizophrenia 1

Question 1

How did Buleuler (1950) term schizophrenia? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 1

A break in reality

Question 2

What are the three categories of symptoms elicited in schizophrenia and in what order are they presented? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 2

1) Negative
2) Cognitive
3) Positive

Question 3

What are characteristics of negative symptoms? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 3

• Absence of normal behaviours
• Flattened emotional response
• Social withdrawal

Question 4

What are characteristics of cognitive symptoms? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 4

• Attention difficulties
• Deficits in learning and memory
• Poor problem solving

Question 5

What are the three categories of positive symptoms? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 5

• Thought disorder
• Delusions
• Hallucinations

Question 6

What is meant by thought disorders in terms of positive symptoms? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 6

Irrational, disorganised thoughts where plausible solutions cannot be concluded over absurd ones

Question 7

What is meant by delusions in terms of positive symptoms? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 7

• Beliefs that are not adherent to fact

- For example persecution delusion = belief that others are plotting against you

Question 8

What is meant by hallucinations in terms of positive symptoms? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 8

• Perceptions of stimuli that are not actually present

- e.g. olfactory hallucinations are the belief others are trying to kill you

Question 9

What have twins and adoption studies shown? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 9

• There is a heritable trait

- DISCI gene increase the chance of schizophrenia by a factor of 50

Question 10

How is paternal age associated with the chance of developing schizophrenia? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 10

When a father ages, mutations in spermatocytes occur

Question 11

What is the MZ concordance of schizophrenia and what does it mean? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 11

• 48%

- Cannot be solely genetic

Question 12

What are the two types of MZ twins and how do they differentiate? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 12

• Monochorionic MZ = share the placenta

- Dichorionic MZ = separate placentas

Question 13

What is the concordance rate of schizophrenia for monochorionic and dichorionic twins? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 13

• Monochorionic = 60%

- Dichorionic = 11%

Question 14

What does the early neurodevelopment model believe? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 14

Fixed lesions from early life interacts with normal neurodevelopment and lies dormant until the brain matures sufficiently

Question 15

What evidence supports the early neurodevelopment model? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 15

Home videos show negative symptoms present, before diagnosis of schizophrenics

Question 16

What does the late neurodevelopment model believe? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 16

Schizophrenia may result from an abnormality in adolescence when synaptic pruning takes place

Question 17

What does the two-hit model believe? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 17

Abnormalities take place during two critical time points (early brain development and adolescence)

Question 18

What structural changes are seen through schizophrenic patients? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 18

• Ventricle enlargement
• Reduced brain volume in temporal and frontal lobes
• Faulty cellular arrangement in the hippocampus

Question 19

What are neurocognitive deficits associated with? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 19

Frontal lobe hyper function

Question 20

What are examples of neurocognitive deficits? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 20

• Lower IQ
• Planning and information processing deficit
• Sensorimotor and working memory deficit

Question 21

What did Weinberger (1988) suggest? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 21

Negative symptoms are caused by primary hypofrontality which leads to a decrease in activity in the frontal lobes

Question 22

What are sensory motor gating deficits? (Schizophrenia 1 B&B)

Answer 22

Difficulties screening out irrelevant stimuli and focusing on salient ones