Biological Explanation Of SZ

Question 1

Outline- the dopamine hypothesis.

Answer 1

Schizophrenia is caused by either an excess of dopamine (hyperdopaminergia) of a lack of dopamine (hypodopaminergia).

Question 2

Outline- genetic basis

Answer 2

Gottesman (1991)- family study on SZ
results (chance of developing SZ) - 1% General polulation, 9% siblings, 17% DZ twins, 48% MZ twins.
-suggests that genes are a key player in genes but also environment is.

Question 3

Outline- neural correlates

Answer 3

Definition- patterns of activity in the brain that occur in conjunction with experience (that may be linked).
Example- abnormalities in the ventral striatum have occurred in conjunction with avolition.

Question 4

Evaluation- support for dopamine hypothesis

Answer 4

• curran et al (2004)- found that dopamine agonists such as amphetamines can make SZ worse and produces symptoms in non-SZ sufferers.
• so - suggests that SZ can be causes by an excess of dopamine, supporting the dopamine hypothesis.
• BUT- it’s been found that genes related to SZ create different neurotransmitters and chemicals e.g. Glutamate
• so - dopamine may not be the only neurotransmitter involved.

Question 5

Evaluation- genes

Answer 5

Brown et al
Found- a link has been found between paternal age and SZ.
- when parents are older they see that there’s a mutation in sperm cells that may cause SZ in the child.
- BUT - it could be argued that the child grows up in a different environment than he/she would’ve done if parents were younger, which may mean that could be the cause of the correlation rather than genes.