Biological Explanations (Neural Correlates) Flashcards
What is the main neurotransmitter suggested as a neural correlate of SZ?
Dopamine.
What led to the understanding of how dopamine might lead to SZ symptoms?
Antipsychotics, known to reduce DA, caused symptoms similar to those with Parkinson’s disease (associated with low levels of DA)
What was the original hypothesis?
SZ might be the result of high levels of DA in the subcortical areas of the brain.
Why did they believe in the original hypothesis that SZ patients had high levels of dopamine?
Due to an excess of D2 receptors in pathways from the subcortical area e.g Broca’s area (responsible for speech production).
What is hyperdopaminergia?
High levels of DA.
How did the updates version of the dopamine hypothesis change?
Proposed the idea also of cortical hypodopaminergia.
What is cortical hypodopaminergia?
Abnormally low DA in the brain’s cortex.
What did cortical hypodopaminergia cause?
Negative symptoms, due to lack of DA effect on the cognitive system (in the pre-frontal cortex).
Which pathway is associated with the subcortical area of the brain?
Mesolimbic pathway
Which pathway is associated with the cortical area of the brain?
Mesocortical pathway
Strength of the dopamine hypothesis?
Research support from the use of amphetamines and antipsychotics.
Limitation of dopamine hypothesis?
Free will/determinism debate
Holism/reductionism debate.
