Ch. 17 Study Flashcards
What does schizophrenia not imply?
A split or multiple personality.
What are the three categories of symptoms associated with schizophrenia?
- Positive symptoms
- Negative symptoms
- Cognitive symptoms
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Symptoms in excess of typical functioning, such as thought disorders, delusions, and hallucinations.
Define thought disorders in the context of schizophrenia.
Disorganized, irrational thinking.
What are delusions?
False beliefs contrary to fact, not held by a subgroup to which the person belongs.
What are delusions of persecution?
False beliefs that others are plotting against oneself.
What are delusions of grandeur?
False beliefs in one’s power and importance, such as having supernatural powers.
What are hallucinations?
Perceptions of stimuli that are not actually present, most commonly auditory.
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
- Reduced emotional response
- Reduced speech
- Lack of initiative and persistence
- Anhedonia
- Social withdrawal
What are cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia?
- Difficulty sustaining attention
- Low psychomotor speed
- Deficits in learning and memory
- Poor abstract thinking
- Poor problem solving
What is the seasonality effect in relation to schizophrenia?
People born during late winter and early spring are more likely to develop schizophrenia.
What factors may contribute to the seasonality effect?
- Pregnant women contracting viral illnesses in fall or winter
- Lower vitamin D levels at birth
- Increased stress and malnutrition
How much higher is the likelihood of developing schizophrenia in urban areas compared to rural areas?
Approximately three times higher.
What are minor physical anomalies associated with schizophrenia?
- High-steeped palate
- Wide set or narrow set eyes
What does the dopamine hypothesis suggest?
Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by overactivity of dopamine synapses.
What is tardive dyskinesia?
A neurological disorder caused by long-term use of dopamine-blocking drugs, resulting in involuntary movements.
What is hypofrontality?
Decreased activity of the frontal lobes, particularly in the dlPFC, related to negative symptoms.
What is the role of glutamate activity in schizophrenia?
Decreased glutamate activity may be involved in negative and cognitive symptoms.
What characterizes bipolar disorder?
Alternating periods of mania and depression.
What is major depressive disorder (MDD)?
Depression without mania, which may be continuous or episodic.
What are some established treatments for major depressive disorder?
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- SSRIs
- SNRIs
- Electroconvulsive therapy
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation
What is lithium used for?
To treat bipolar affective disorders.
What are the side effects of lithium?
- Hand tremors
- Weight gain
- Excessive urine production
- Thirst
What does the monoamine hypothesis propose?
Depression is caused by insufficient activity of monoamine neurons.
