Biological Explanations of Schizophrenia - Neural correlations

Question 1

What are neural correlations?

Answer 1

measurements of the structure or function of the brain that correlate with a particular experience.

Question 2

what is neural correlations of schizophrenia?

Answer 2

refers to the measurements of the brain that correlate/link with symptoms of Sz

Question 3

name the 3 areas of the brain linked with symptoms of Sz

Answer 3

ventral striatum

superior temporal gyrus

anterior cingulate gyrus

Question 4

what is a neural correlates of negative symptoms

Answer 4

ventral striatum

Question 5

what symptoms of Sz link to the ventral striatum?

Answer 5

negative symptoms

e.g avolition (loss of motivation)

Question 6

Who did research on the activity of the ventral striatum?

Answer 6

Juckel et al (2006)

Question 7

findings of juckel et al (ventral striatum)

Answer 7

• people with Sz have lower levels of activity in the ventral striatum
  compared to controls
• lower activity levels = stronger severity of negative symptoms (negative correlation)

Question 8

what are the 2 neural correlates of positive symptoms?

Answer 8

• superior temporal gyrus

- anterior cingulate gyrus

Question 9

what symptoms of Sz link to the the gyrus’s?

Answer 9

positive symptoms

e.g auditory hallucinations

Question 10

Who did research on the activity of neural correlates of positive Sz symptoms?

Answer 10

Allen et al (2007)

Question 11

findings of Allen et al

superior temporal gyrus + anterior cingulate gyrus

Answer 11

in these areas there were

low activity levels

Question 12

Allen et al method

Answer 12

Asked people w/ Sz to identify whether their ‘voices’ were theirs or someone else’s

Question 13

What are the other possible neural correlates

Answer 13

enlarged ventricle size

reduced levels of white and grey matter in the brain

Question 14

why are there other possible neural correlates?

Answer 14

because Sz is a complex disorder