Clinical Characteristics Flashcards
5 key symptoms of schizophrenia (DSM 5)
Delusions, Hallucinations, Disorganised thinking (speech), Disorganised/Catatonic behaviour, Negative symptoms
Define delusions and give 4 types
Fixed false beliefs resistant to change in the light of contrary evidence: persecution, reference, thought withdrawal or insertion and delusions of control
Define hallucinations and give an example, what do they need to be distinguished from?
Perception-like experiences without external stimulus
Auditory: patient hears voices telling them to do things
Normal religious experience
Define disorganised thinking and 3 things it can involve
Disorganised thought inferred from speech, involves switching topics, irrelevance and incoherence (‘word salad’)
What does disorganised behaviour include?
What is catatonic behaviour? Give 3 examples
Unpredictable agitation/silliness
decrease in reactivity to the environment: rigid posture, lack of verbal or motor responses
Negative smptoms: give 3 examples of diminished emotional expression, define avolition
Reduction in eye contact, facial expressions, hand movement
Decrease in motivated self-initiated acitivities
Define positive symptoms, what are they?
Something has been added to the patient’s personality (type 1): delusions, hallucination, disorganised thinking/soeech
Define negative symptoms, what are they?
Something has been taken away from the patient’s personality (type 2): disorganised/catatonic behaviour, negative symptoms (diminished emotional expression, avolition)
What is required for a DSM 5 diagnosis? (4)
2+ symptoms out of 5, each present for a large proportion of 1 month, at least one positive symptom, continuous signs of disturbance for 6+ months
Give an example of a reference delusion
Seeing people on the telephone and believing they are talking about you (even though they aren’t)
