Biological explanations

Question 1

Describe Gottesman findings

Answer 1

Increased genetic similarity = Increased risk of SZ
Identical twins (48%)
Siblings (9%)
Parents ( 6%)
Children ( 13%)

Question 2

Candidate genes

Answer 2

Genes that have a role in the development of SZ

Question 3

Polygenic q

Answer 3

Caused by a wide range of genes

Question 4

Ripke et al

Answer 4

Found 108 genes that cause SZ ,

Genes that coded for Dopamine posed an increased risk

Question 5

What is the Dopamine Hypothesis

Answer 5

Dopamine is important in the function of several brain systems that may induce SZ symptoms

Question 6

Hyperdopaminergia in Sub Cortex

Answer 6

Orginal stated that there was unusually high activity of dopamine in the sub cortex of SZ sufferers
e.g Excess of dopamine receptors in the Brocas Areas
where speech is produced
may be associated with speech poverty

Question 7

Hypodopaminergia for Pre frontal cortex

Answer 7

Recent studies focus on the cortex

Goldman-Rakic found low levels of dopamine in the pre frontal cortex
responsible for thinking
may be associated to neg symp

Question 8

Define Neural Correlates

Answer 8

The structures in the brain that correlate to experience

Both pos and neg have neural correlates

Question 9

Neural Correlate for positive symptoms

Answer 9

Allen found that reduced activity in the superior temporal gyrus and the anterior cingulate gyrus is a neural correlate for audiotory hallucinations

Question 10

Neural correlate for neg symps

Answer 10

There is a negative correlation between activity in the ventral striatum and the severity of overall negative symptoms especially avolition