Chapter 2: integrative approach to psychopathology Flashcards
components of the multidimensional integrative approach
-biological influences
-behavioral influences
-emotional and cognitive influences
-social influences
polygenic
influenced my many genes
best estimate is that ___ of our personality traits and cognitive abilities are due to genetics
half
Kandel: brain and other organs are subject to change in response to
environment
diathesis-stress model
individuals inherit tendencies to express certain traits or behaviors which may be activated under the conditions of stress
diathesis
inherited tendency or condition that makes someone susceptible to develop a disorder
diathesis is ___ based
genetically
stressor is ___ based
environmentally
the smaller the vulnerability (diathesis), the ___ the life stress required to induce disorder
greater
the greater the vulnerability (diathesis) , the ___ the life stress required to induce disorder
lesser
Capsi study
-studied participants in New Zealand and looked at 5-HTT gene (serotonin gene)
-one long (L), one short (S) allele of the gene
-individuals with LL were better able to cope with stress than those with SS allele
-those with SS had doubled risk of depression if they had 4+ stressful life events
-those with LL had lower incidence rates of depression when also having stressful childhood experiences than compared to those with SS
gene-environment correlation model
hypothesis that people with a genetic predisposition for a disorder may also have a genetic tendency to create environmental risk factors that promote the disorder (ex: people with depression seek out hard relationships)
the probability if you divorcing ___ if your fraternal twin is also divorced
doubles
the probability if you divorcing ___ if your identical twin is also divorced
increases 6x
epigenetics
the study of factors other than inherited DNA sequence such as new learning or stress that alter the phenotypic expression of genes
Chang and Eng
-1810 conjoined twins that shared identical genetics
-twins had distinct personalities (Chang was moody and depressed while Eng was cheerful and quiet)
central nervous system components
brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous sytem components
somatic and autonomic nervous system
spinal cord function
facilitate the sending of messages to and from the brain
neuron function
control our thoughts and actions by transmitting information throughout nervous system
neuron structure
central body, one end has dendrite (branch) and other is axon (branch)
dendrites
have many receptors that receive messages (as chemical impulses) from other nerves and convert message to electrical impulse
axon
transmits electrical impulses to other neurons
synapse
the connection between 2 neurons, often called synaptic cleft
how information is transmitted in neuron
action potentials (electrical impulses) travel along axon and reach end (terminal button( which then send chemical messengers into synaptic cleft
neurotransmitters
chemicals that crosses synaptic cleft to transmit impulses from one neuron to the next
glial cells
recently learned that they play active roles in neural activity
major neurotransmitters
norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, GABA, glutamate
excitatory neurotransmitters
increase the likely hood that connecting neuron will fire (activate)
inhibitory neurotransmitters
decrease the likely hood that connecting neuron will fire (inactivate)
the brain is made up of
brain stem and forebrain
brain stem
-most essential automatic functions (breathing, sleeping, moving)
-made up of hindbrain, midbrain, thalamus, and hypothalamus
hindbrain
made up of medulla, pons and cerebellum
-regulates automatic activity like breathing, HR, and digestion
midbrain
coordinates movement with sensory input and has parts of RAS
reticular activating system
contributes to process of arousal and tension (ex: awake and asleep)
thalamus and hypothalamus
regulate behavior and emotion, serve as relay between forebrain and lower areas of brainstrem
limbic system
-hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, septum, amygdala
-helps regulate emotional experiences and expressions
-ability to learn and control impulses
-basic drives of sex, aggression, hunger and thirst
basal ganglia
- at base of forebrain and includes caudate nucleus
-controls motor activity
cerebral cortex
-largest part of forebrain (80% of neurons)
-allows for us to plan, reason and create
-divided into 2 hemispheres that are different
left hemisphere
verbal and cognitive processes
right hemisphere
better at perceiving the world around us and creating images
4 lobes
temporal, parietal, occipital and frontal