9.1 Chapter 13

Question 1

what is the dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 1

the dysregulated dopamine transmission causes one’s brain to pay attention to too many things. *over-attention to irrelevant stimuli.

Question 2

what does a frontal-lobe dysfunction impair?

Answer 2

decision making, attentional-cognitions

Question 3

along with dopamine, what other neurotransmitter is important in schizophrenia development?

Answer 3

low levels of glutamate

Question 4

what do enlarged brain ventricles in a schizophrenic patient mean?

Answer 4

there is reduced brain matter in other places, particularly the frontal lobe

Question 5

abnormalities in the TEMPORAL LOBE, such as hippocampus and amygdala, affect what?

Answer 5

emotion, memory, and auditory processing

Question 6

in schizophrenic people, white matter disruptions affect what?

Answer 6

how well the nerve fibers of the brain communicate with each other

Question 7

what is meant by disrupted cytoarchitecture?

Answer 7

there seems to be overall lack of organization in brain cells.

Question 8

in disrupted cytoarchitecture, which neurons are missing?

Answer 8

inhibitory neurons. results in lessened ability to dampen down overactivity in neural circuits.

Question 9

how does a prenatal infection affect schizophrenia development?

Answer 9

increased risk in children born to moms with flu/virus while in 4-7 months of gestation.

Question 10

the introduction of which antipsychotic drug in the 1950s was a breakthrough treatment?

Answer 10

Propomozene (?)

Question 11

when will a schizophrenic patient be submitted to long-term institutionalization?

Answer 11

when they are unable to live independently + delusions are strong and tell them to hurt others

Question 12

antipsychotic drugs tend to address what kinds of symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 12

positive symptoms. the presence of abnormal experiences (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behaviors)

Question 13

lack of speech and lack of motivation are examples of what?

Answer 13

negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Question 14

what is behavioral family therapy for schizophrenic patients?

Answer 14

a psychosocial approach to teach family how to work with symptoms. how to help them stay compliant with medication. how to be supportive. also how this affects them + supports them as caregivers. communication skills, problem solving skills, what to do when they hallucinate, etc.

Question 15

what is social and living skills training?

Answer 15

teaching them conversational skills if they have difficulty in social situations. ex) how to listen, appropriate affect, tone of voice, appropriate topics, living skills, how to live independently

Question 16

what is cognitive remediation?

Answer 16

psychosocial approach based on the fact that schizophrenia is very much a cognitive disorder. like a brain training app, it helps to improve analytical skills and short term memory

Question 17

what are the pros and cons of cognitive-behavioral therapy in schizophrenic patients?

Answer 17

behavioral part is helpful: stress management, how to express needs and feelings, how to deal with difficult circumstances. cognitive part not so much: it’s not easy to train someone not to believe their delusions.

Question 18

which gene, located on chromosome 22, is involved in dopamine metabolism?

Answer 18

COMT candidate gene