Chapter 15 Flashcards
Mental illness results from the combo of…
biological predisposition and experiences
feel sad and helpless every day for weeks at a time
Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder characteristics according to the DSM-IV
little energy, feelings of worthlessness, suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, little pleasure
showed that for ppl w/2 short forms of the genes, increasing # of stressful experiences led to big increase in probability of depression
Caspi et al. study
viral infection of farm animals, which produces periods of frantic activity alternating with periods of inactivity
Borna disease
depression after giving birth
postpartum depression
4 major categories of antidepressants
tricyclics.
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
MAOIs.
Atypical antidepressants
Operate by blocking transporter proteins that reabsorb serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine into the presynaptic neuron after their release
Tricyclics
Result of tricyclics
prolongs effects of the drug in postsynaptic neuron
Also block histamine receptors, acetylcholine receptors, and certain sodium channels
Tricyclics
- Block reuptake of serotonin – prolongs presence of serotonin in the presynaptic cleft, where it continues to stimulate the postsynaptic cell
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
similar to tricyclics but to serotonin only
SSRIs
Block reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin
Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Block the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), a presynaptic terminal enzyme that metabolizes catecholamines and serotonin into inactive forms
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
are usually prescribed when tricylcics or SSRIs do not work
MAOIs
miscellaneous group containing everything other than the other three types (w/antidepressant effects and mild side effects)
Atypical antidepressants
inhibits reuptake of dopamine and to some extent norepinephrine but not serotonin
bupropion (wellbutrin)
an herb; Marketed as nutritional supplement and not regulated by U.S. Food and Drug Administration
St John’s wort
o Has potentially dangerous side effect – increases the effectiveness of a liver enzyme that breaks down plant toxins, but enzyme also breaks down most medicines
St John’s wort
Is depression due simply to having too little of the neurotransmitters?
People with depression have approximately normal levels of release of neurotransmitters
o Most people with depression have lower than average levels of brain-derived neurptrophic factor (BDNF). As a result they show
impaired learning, smaller than average hippocampus, generally increases BDNP production, smaller than avg production of hippocampal neurons
long-term (almost life-long) condition of unhappy mood
dysthymia
ECT
electrically induced seizure
side effects of ECT
Memory loss, although if applied to only right hemisphere.
A high risk of relapsing into another episode of depression within a few months
similar treatment to ECT; o Is another treatment for depression in which an intense magnetic field is applied to the scalp, to stimulate the neurons close to the brain’s surface
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
people vary between normality and one pole – depression
Unipolar Depression
people alternate between two poles – depression and its opposite, mania; very serious!
Bipolar Depression
people have full-blown episodes of mania
Bipolar I Disorder
people have milder manic phases (hypomania), which are characterized mostly by agitation or anxiety
Bipolar II Disorder
Most ppl w/bipolar disorder have
attention deficits.
poor impulse control.
impairments of verbal memory.
Treatments for Bipolar
Lithium and Drugs
a salt that stabilizes mood and prevents relapse in mania or depression
Lithium
Drugs work by:
decreasing glutamate activity; o Blocking the synthesis of the brain chemical arachidonic acid, which is produced during brain inflammation
Depression that recurs during a particular season (e.g., winter)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
SAD is most prevalent…
near the poles (b/c nights are long)
Schizophrenia use to be called
dementia praecox
schizophrenia
disorder of thought
According to DSM- IV
Someone must have deteriorated in ability to function in everyday life, and by for at least 6 months, and must show at least two of the following, that are not attributable to other disorders
introduced the term schizophrenia
Eugene Bleuler
unfounded beliefs
delusions
false sensory experiences (e.g., hearing voices)
Hallucinations
behaviors that are present that should be absent
positive symptoms
o Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and disorganized behavior
positive symptoms
behaviors that are absent that should be present
negative symptoms
Weak or absent emotion, speech, and socialization
negative symptoms
limitations of thought and reasoning that are common in schizophrenia
cognitive symptoms
proposes that disordered thoughts are primary problem
Andreason
why is Schizophrenia is somewhat more common among children of older fathers
probability of mutations on sperm over time increases
Risk factors that increase likelihood of schizophrenia
poor nutrition of mother during pregnancy, premature birth, low birth weight, complications during delivery, exposure of mother to extreme stress early in pregnancy, head injuries in early childhood
tendency for people born in the winter to have slightly (5% - 8%) greater risk of developing schizophrenia that people born at other times of the year
season of birth effect
parasite from cats that can infect humans and can impair brain development and lead to memory disorder, hallucinations, and delusions
toxoplasma gondi
discovered in 1950s; relieves positive symptoms for most patients
chlorpromazine (thorazine)
drugs that tend to relieve schizophrenia and similar conditions
Antipsychotic or neuroleptic drugs
each of these drugs blocks dopamine receptors
phenothiazines and butyrophenones
holds that schizophrenia results from excess activity at dopamine synapses in certain brain areas
the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia
characterized by hallucinations and delusions – results from repeated doses of amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and LSD
Substance induced psychotic disorder
the problem relates in part to deficient activity at glutamate synapses, especially in prefrontal cortex
glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia
aka angel dust
phencyclidine or PCP
characterized by tremors and other involuntary movements
tardive dyskinesia
(aka atypical antipsychotics) alleviate schizophrenia without producing movement problems
Second- generation antipsychotics
