Biological Explanation- Structural Abnormalities

Question 1

What are the four lobes of the brain?

Answer 1

Partictal lobes
Occipitual lobe
Temporal lobe
Frontal lobe

Question 2

What is the ceribelum responsible for?

Answer 2

It is responsible for motor controls

Question 3

What does the brain stem do?

Answer 3

It regulates automatic processes

Question 4

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 4

The main part of the brain

Question 5

What are the ventricles responsible for?

Answer 5

Maintaining the pressure in the brain

Question 6

What are the 3 structural abnormalities which are linked with Schizophrenia?

Answer 6

Englarged ventricals
Cortical atrophy
Reversed cerebal asymmetry

Question 7

What would enlarged ventricals be a sign of?

Answer 7

Gray matter being lost as a result ventricles have swelled to match preasure of the brain

Question 8

What has been found about a Schizophrenic persons ventricles compared to a normal brain?

Answer 8

Schizophrenic individuals appear to have larger ventricicals

Evidence : Weinberger et al (1979) used CAT scans and found that 40 % of his 58 Schizophrenic participants had significantly larger venctricals compared to his 56 control paticipants , 53% with Chronic Schizophrenia exceeded two S.D of the control

Question 9

What is Cortical Atrophy?

Answer 9

The loss of neurons in the cerebel cortex

Question 10

Which are the two ways cortical atrophy can take place?

Answer 10

All over the brain (making it look like the brains shrunk) OR it can be focused in a limited area

Question 11

What percentage of people with chronic Schizophrenia display Atrophy?

Answer 11

Vita et al (1988) claims that 33% suffer from cortical atrophy and also ventricle enlargement

Question 12

What is the typical symtery of a brain?

Answer 12

The left hemisphere of the brain is slightly larger than the right (cerbal aysmmetry)

Question 13

What is the typical asymmetry of a Schizophrenic person?

Answer 13

Their right hemisphere is slightly larger than the left (reversed cerebral asymmerty)

Question 14

What can damage of the left hemisphere lead to?

Answer 14

As the left is typically linked to speech , damage could lead to alogia (poverty of speech)

Question 15

What did Lunchins et al (1979) find using CAT scans about the link between atrophy and reversed cerebal asymmetry?

Answer 15

He found that only those without other forms of atrophy displayed ‘reversed’ brains

Question 16

What are four evaluation points of Structural abnormalities to biologically explain Schizophrenia?

Answer 16

Replicability of findings

Effect of Antipsychotics

Structural abnormalities aren’t linked to Schizophrenia alone

Neurodegenerative or Neurodevelopment?

Question 17

What is the evaluation point of the effect of Antipsychotics on brain structure?

Answer 17

The drugs used to treat Schizophrenia are very powerful and can significantly impact brain tissue

Evidence - Lyon et al (1981) found a negative correlation between an increase of medication and a decrease in density of patients brain tissue

Question 18

Explain the evaulation point of structural abnormalities not only being linked to Schizophrenia?

Answer 18

Structural abnormalities such as enlarged venctricals are also present in a number of other disorders , so cannot help us discern exactly what the patient is suffering from without further evaluation

Evidence: Roy et al (1998) claimed that Victims of Bipolar disorder and Schizoaffective disorder also display the same structural abnormalties

Question 19

Why is the evaluation point of the findings being replicable a strength?

Answer 19

It is a stregnth as abronzmlties can be relaibly and effectively tested for due to the research being scientific as it uses brain scans , meaning that scans can be used to highlight SCZ

Evidence: Mcarley and collegues (1999) claimed that the presence of englarged ventricals in Schizophrenic brains is the most reliable finding in research that uses brain scans

Question 20

Why is the evaulation point of Neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental a weakness?

Answer 20

The cause for Schizophrenia is still unknown as , whilst structural abromalties are clearly shown to correlate with SCZ , we don’t know if they are a cause or a consequence of Schizophrenia. Meaning the explination is incomplete