Chapter 11: Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Flashcards
Acute onset
Typically develops during late adolescence
Seemingly well-adjusted individual experiences a sudden onset with rapid transformation of personality and behavior.
Chronic onset
Typically develops during late adolescence
Characterized by slower, more gradual decline in functioning.
Prodromal phase
Characterized by subtle symptoms involving unusual thoughts or abnormal perceptions, decreased interest in social activities, difficulty in daily functioning, and impaired cognition
Residual phase
Flagrant psychotic behaviors are absent, but the person is still impaired by significant cognitive, social, and emotional deficits, such as lack of motivation or apathy, and difficulties thinking or speaking clearly, and by holding unusual ideas, such as beliefs in telepathy or clairvoyance
Identify the gender differences associated with prevalence and prognosis
Gender differences
Men
- Have slightly higher risk of developing disorder
- Tend to develop disorder at a younger age
- Experience greater cognitive impairment
- Experience more behavioral deficits
- Do not respond as well to drug therapy
Positive symptoms
Hallucinations
Delusional thinking
Negative symptoms
Lack of emotional responses
Loss of motivation
Loss of pleasure
Lack of social relationships
Limited verbal expression
Aberrant forms of thought
Thought disorder: A disturbance in thinking characterized by the breakdown of logical associations between thoughts.
Positive symptoms involving breakdown in organization, processing and control of thoughts and incoherent speech.
- Poverty of speech – slow speech, limited in quantity, vague
- Neologisms – made-up words
- Perseveration – persistent repetition of words
- Clanging – stringing together words that rhyme
What does the phrase filtering out extraneous stimuli generally mean?
People with schizophrenia often have difficulty filtering out irrelevant stimuli, making it nearly impossible to focus their attention, organize their thoughts, and filter out unessential information.
What does “flat affect” mean in relation to emotional disturbances?
The absence of emotional expression in the face and voice.
What are some of the features of catatonia?
Impaired cognitive and motor functioning.
- Maintain fixed or rigid posture
- Be unaware of the environment
- Exhibit odd gestures and bizarre facial expressions
- Become unresponsive
- Show highly excited or wild behavior
- Slow to a state of stupor
- Adopt a fixed posture positioned by others (waxy flexibility)
Which neurotransmitter is associated with hallucinations?
Disturbances in brain chemistry of neurotransmitter dopamine
Genetic factors of schizophrenia
The closer the genetic relationship between schizophrenia patients and family members, the greater the likelihood family members will also have schizophrenia.
First-degree relatives and schizophrenia
First-degree relatives - have about a tenfold greater risk of developing schizophrenia than do members of the general population
Identify which twin-group has a higher concordance rate for developing schizophrenia
Concordance rates among MZ twins (48%) is more than twice the rate among DZ twins (17%).
Describe the dopamine hypothesis and what is classified as its supportive evidence
Schizophrenia involves overactivity of dopamine transmission in the brain.
Main sources of support:
- Antipsychotic drugs (neuroleptics) inhibit psychotic symptoms by reducing dopamine activity.
- Amphetamines, which increase concentration of dopamine, cause symptoms that mimic paranoid schizophrenia.
What part of the brain is thought to influence abnormal functioning and increase risk of schizophrenia? What behavioral components are involved with this part of the brain?
Abnormal functioning in prefrontal cortex
- Higher-order functions, such as regulating attention, organizing thoughts/behavior, prioritizing, formulating goals.
What system of the brain is associated with schizophrenia and associated with memory and emotions?
Abnormalities in brain circuitry connecting the prefrontal cortex and lower brain structures.
- Includes parts of the limbic system involved in regulating emotions and memory
The stress and protective factors that summarize the contributors to developing schizophrenia. What model is connected to categorizing these factors?
Stress factors
- Prenatal trauma
- Birth complications
- Harsh, critical family environment
- Stressful life experiences
Protective factors
- Healthy communication style within family
- Nurturing family environment
- Low level of life stress
- Coping resources
Diathesis-stress model
Antipsychotic medications (neuroleptics)
Helps control the more flagrant behavior patterns of schizophrenia, such as delusional thinking and hallucinations (i.e. positive symptoms), and reduces the need for long-term hospitalization.
What are the differences between typical and atypical antipsychotic medications (hint, refer to terms used in class, “old school” and “new school/newer generation”).
First-generation antipsychotics
Associated with increased risk of tardive dyskinesia with long-term use:
- Involuntary movements of the face, mouth, neck, trunk, or extremities
Atypical antipsychotics
Second-generation antipsychotics
- Lower risk of tardive dyskinesia
- Side effects include risk of medical complications such as sudden cardiac death, weight gain, and metabolic disorders
Why are atypical antipsychotics preferred over the “old school” medications?
They decrease the risk of tardive dyskinesia
Psychosocial rehabilitation
Self-help clubs and rehabilitation centers
- Self-contained communities
- Provide social support
- Help find educational opportunities, employment, and stable housing
Multiservice rehabilitation centers
- Provide skills training
Family intervention programs
Focusing on practical aspects of everyday living.
Educating family members about schizophrenia.
Teaching family how to relate to member with schizophrenia.
Training family members in communication skills.
Teaching family members problem-solving and coping skills.
Family interventions have been found to be some of the most effective for schizophrenia, particularly with keeping patients out of the hospital. Such programs have also been found to help patients maintain compliance with taking medications.
