Biological Explanations

Question 1

what is the genetic basis of schizophrenia?

Answer 1

• Gottesman said relationship between degree of genetic similarity and shared risk of schizophrenia
• ripe said theres 108 genetic variations increasing risk of schizophrenia

Question 2

What is the dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 2

• high levels in sub cortex and low levels in cortex linked to symptoms

Question 3

what are neural correlates of schizophrenia?

Answer 3

• junkel = avocation linked to ventral stratum

- allen = hallucinations linked to superior temporal gyrus

Question 4

+ multiple sources of evidence for genetic vulnerability

Answer 4

• Tienari = studied adopted kids and found the from schizo families are at a heightened risk, even when their nurture is different

Question 5

+/- mixed evidence for dopamine hypothesis

Answer 5

• (curran) dopamine antagonists like amphetamines make symptoms worse
• however Javitt found some genes relating to symptoms code for different chemicals other than dopamine

Question 6

• correlation-causation problem

Answer 6

• neural correlates are just correlation, can’t prove they’re a causation
• e.g. negative symptoms may be caused by low activity in ventral stratum or reduced info processing in the area of the brain