Chapter 15: Psychological Disorders

Question 1

Major depression

Answer 1

• Feeling sad and helpless for weeks at a time
• 2X common in women
• Little energy
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Suicidal thoughts
• Difficulty sleeping, concentrating
• Experience little pleasure

Question 2

Biological risk factors (major depression)

Answer 2

• Twin studies suggest heritability
• Short form of SHTT gene (related to stress reactivity)
• Borna disease: viral infection which may predispose to depression

Question 3

Brain activity

Answer 3

• Prefrontal cortex

- Decreased activity in left PFC, increased activity in right PFC

Question 4

Antidepressants

Answer 4

1. Tricyclics
2. SSRIs
3. MAOIs
4. Atypical antidepressants
   - Most effective for people with severe depression
   - Children: tend to be ineffective
   - Ineffective with early childhood trauma

Question 5

Tricyclics

Answer 5

• Block transporter proteins that reabsorb seratonin, dopamine and noepinephrine into presynaptic neuron after release
• Block histamine and acetylcholine receptors and certain sodium channels
• Many side effects (dry mouth, heart irregularities)

Question 6

SSRIs

Answer 6

• Block reuptake of seratonin

- Milder side effects than tricyclics

Question 7

MAOIs

Answer 7

• Block enzyme monoamine oxidase that metabolizes catecholimines and seratonin
• Results in more transmitters in presynaptic terminal available for release
• Prescibed after SSRIs and MAOIs don’t work

Question 8

Atypical

Answer 8

-Misc. group of drugs with antidepressant effects and mild side effects

Question 9

Schizophrenia

Answer 9

• Characterized by deteriorating ability to function in every day life and some combination of the following:
  1. Hallucinations
  2. Delusions
  3. Thought disorder
  4. Movement disorder
  5. Inappropriate emotional expression

Question 10

Acute

Answer 10

-Sudden onset and good prospect for recovery

Question 11

Chronic

Answer 11

-Gradual onset and long-term recovery

Question 12

Positive symptoms

Answer 12

• Behaviors present that should be absent
  1. Psychotic.
• Delusions: unfounded beliefs
• Hallucinations: abnormal sensory experiences associated with increased activity in the thalamus, hippocampus and cortex
  2. Disorganized
• Inappropriate emotional displays, bizarre behaviors and thought disorders

Question 13

Negative symptoms

Answer 13

• Behaviors absent that should be present
  1. Weak social interaction
  2. Emotional expression
  3. Speech
  4. Working memory
• Usually stable over time and difficult to treat

Question 14

Neurodevelopment hypothesis

Answer 14

• Abnormalities in the prenatal or neonatal development of the nervous system
• Supporting evidence:
  1. Several kinds of prenatal or neonatal difficulties are linked to later schizophrenia
  2. People with schizophrenia have minor brain abnormalities that originate early in life
  3. Abnormalities of early development could impair behavior in adulthood

Question 15

Risk factors for schizophrenia

Answer 15

1. Poor nutrition of the mother during pregnancy
2. Premature birth
3. Low birth weight
4. Complications during delivery
5. Head injuries in early childhood
6. Extreme stress of mother during pregnancy

Question 16

Season of birth effect

Answer 16

• People born in winter to have a slightly greater probability of developing schizophrenia
• More pronounced in latitudes far from the equator
• Might be explained by complications of delivery, nutritional factors, or increased likelihood of viral infection in mother

Question 17

Brain abnormalities

Answer 17

• Strongest deficits found in the left temporal and frontal lobe of the cortex
• Thalamus smaller than average
• Larger than normal ventricles
• Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Question 18

Antipsychotic/neuroleptic drugs

Answer 18

-Tend to relieve schizophrenia

Question 19

Chlorpromazine

Answer 19

• Used to treat schizophrenia that relieves the positive symptoms
• Relief usually experienced in 2-3 weeks

Question 20

Chemical families of drugs

Answer 20

1. Phenothiazines - includes chlorpromazine
2. Butyrophenones - includes halperidol (Haldol)
   - Both drugs block dopamine synapses

Question 21

Dopamine hypothesis

Answer 21

-Schizophrenia results from excess activity at dopamine synapses in certain areas of the brain

Question 22

Substance induced psychotic disorder

Answer 22

• Characterized by hallucinations and delusions resulting from repeated large doses of amphetamines, methamphetamines, or cocaine
• Each prolongs activity of dopamine at the synapse, providing further evidence for dopamine hypothesis

Question 23

Glutamate hypothesis

Answer 23

• Suggests the problem relates partially to deficient activity at glutamate receptors
• Especially in prefrontal cortex
• In many brain areas, dopamine inhibits glutamate release or glutamate stimulates neurons that inhibit dopamine release
• Increased dopamine produces the same effects as decreased glutamate

Question 24

Second generation antipsychotics

Answer 24

• Used to treat schizophrenia but seldom produce movement problems
• More effective at treating negative symptoms