Biological Theory Of Schizophrenia Flashcards
Biological theory
The messages from the dopaminergic neurons that transmit dopamine are fired to often which can lead to symptoms of schizophrenia resulting in more dopamine binding to the receptors
What does dopamine control
Perception
Attention
Mood
What does to much dopamine look like
Erratic movements
Hallucinations
Delusions
frontal cortex in schizophrenics
Lower blood flow
Less frequently activated
Smaller in volume
Temporal lobe in schizophrenics
Lower in volume
Due to lack of grey matter
Hippocampus in schizophrenics
Smaller in volume
Criticisms
Reductionist. Too simplistic to explain a complex disorder by looking at one part of the brain
Ignores nurture. The brain still needs to interact with what is happening in the environment to be able to produce symptoms like hallucinations
Too deterministic. Schizophrenia might not be completely controlled by what is happening in the brain. Some people may let their symptoms to take over rather than trying to mentally control them.