brain structure bio exp. Flashcards
what has a substantial amount of research suggested about brain stricture in SZs
brain structure in people with Sz is often different from those who don’t have Sz
where is the prefrontal cortex located, helping us to do what?
At very front and top of the brain, helping people to think logically and organise their thoughts
what have brain imaging techniques shown during neuropsychological tasks?
During neuropsychological tasks (card sorting)
shown reduced metabolic rates in the PFC, like those with frontal lobe damage.
what may reduced metabolic rates in the PFC be a reason for in SZs?
May be a reason why they suffer from delusions
aren’t using the part of the brain that induces logical thinking as well as disorganized thoughts and disordered thinking patterns
what factors can make those affected vulnerable to Sz?
Various factors during the womb, birth process, or after birth can cause brain lesions
when is cortical development in a critical stage of growth?
during the second trimester in pregnancy.
why, if brain damage occurs before the PFC is fully developed, does Sz not develop until so much later?
the brain injury interacts with normal brain development
when does the PFC develop, what does this mean in terms of injury?
doesn’t develop until your late teens/ early 20s
so injury would not be apparent until that area of the brain begins to show itself in behaviour/ dysfunctions
what did O’Callagan look at in 1957 and find?
looked at the influenza outbreak in 1957
found that amongst those children who were in the fourth to six-month gestation during the outbreak there was particularly high incidence of Sz
what do O’Callaghan’s findings suggest?
Suggesting the influence that cortical development has in Sz vulnerability
what is a weakness of this approach?
Deterministic approach with narrow focus and regard to the environment
only looks at the pre-existing causes and conditions
what other factors may be involved?
Potential environmental factors e.g social causation, onset of Sz due to environment you live in
what do visual and auditory cortices tell us about hallucinations in SZs?
Process vision and sound information
In Szs the brain acts the same way, whether the patient is hearing or seeing something real or just hallucinating, making them feel like a reality
what have studies shown in terms of the basal ganglia?
Located deep inside the brain, involving movement and thinking skills
Studies have shown larger basal ganglia in Szs which may affect the movement patterns, explaining frequent motor dysfunctions
what is the amygdala responsible for, explaining what in SZs?
Responsible for basic feelings, like fear and hunger
Szs often have little emotion due to their amygdala being smaller, explaining weak emotional responses
what did Young et al find?
found a number of structural differences using MRI scans when comparing the brains of Sz and non-Sz patients?
what do young et al’s findings suggest ant the development of SZ?
Suggesting brain differences are strongly linked with the development of Sz
Highly scientific and credible method
what implications are there for SZs using brain scans for diagnosis?
Scans are not diagnostic tools
correlational
Implications for Sz patients if we say that the cause of Sz is only due to brain structure
what have CAT scans shown us about enlarged ventricles?
Research using CAT scans has shown that approximately 25% of SZ patients have enlarged ventricles in the brain
what does a smaller brain and enlarged ventricles (fluid filled cavities due to brain cell loss) suggest in terms of brain structure?
suggesting either brain tissue is being lost or certain brain areas have failed to develop fully such as the frontal lobes, temporal lobes and the hypothalamus
where can we see reduced volume of grey matter in the brain of SZs?
especially in the temporal and frontal lobes
Recently, neuroscientists have detected grey matter loss of up to 25% (in some areas)
what do patients with the worst tissue loss tend to have?
the worst symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, bizarre and psychotic thoughts, hearing voices
what did Pahl, Swayze and Andreasen review, the great majority of which finding what?
reviewed almost 50 studies
the great majority of which found abnormally large lateral ventricles in brains of those with Sz
what did scanning show in the brains of MZ twins, where one had SZ?
that twin had larger ventricles and a reduced anterior hypothalamus
