CLINICAL- Mood disorders Flashcards
What are mood disorders
- These refer to a group of disorders that are characterised by episodes of time where mood is either very low or very high
define a manic episode
- This is a period of at least a week where mood is extremely high
Define a depressive episode
- a period of at least 2 weeks which involves depressed mood or lack of interest in usual activities for most of the day, nearly every day.
define a mixed episode
- A period of 2 weeks where its a mixture of manic and depressive states
define a hypomanic episode
- a less extreme version of a manic episode which can involve several days of elevated mood disturbances
What are the symptoms of a unipolar mood disorder (depression)
*7 symptoms
- Feelings of sadness
- irritable
- difficulty in concentration
- feelings of guilt
- recurrent thoughts of death
- changes in eating patterns
- changes in sleeping patterns
When is a depressive disorder diagnosed and how long do they usually last
- A person is only diagnosed if they have no previous history of manic or hypomanic episodes
- Recurrent ones are diagnosed once two or more occur and are separated by several months or more
- They usually last 2 weeks
Describe a Type 1 Bipolar disorder
- They have at least one manic or mixed episode
- they can last 2 weeks
- it involves impulsivity, rapid speech, euphoric mood and reckless behaviour
- It also can involve depressive moods, lack of will to carry out activities and feelings of guilt
Describe the Type 2 bipolar disorder
- Defined by one or more hypomanic episodes and at least 1 depressive episode
- involves behaviours of increased mood, increased self-esteem, talkativeness, and impulsivity.
- There is no history of manic or mixed episodes
What refers to psychometric testing
- This is a method of measuring personality traits, emotional states or other experiences by using a set of questions and numerical scales.
Describe the Beck Depression Inventory
- is a 21 item self report measure
- it assess symptoms of a depressive disorder
- Each item contains 4 statements
- The total scores will determine the severity:
>10 -18(mild depression)
> 19-20(moderate depression)
>30 and up (severe depression)
Evaluate the BDI
+Quantitative data is objective
+High in reliability as it is consistent
+High in validity as it is accurate
-closed questions limit their responses
-Social desirability, they can exaggerate or underemphasise their responses
-Cultural differences , focuses mainly towards western language
Describe the biochemical reasoning of the Biological explanation
- It states that there are low levels of dopamine and low levels of serotonin
- low levels of dopamine: Shows a lack of interest in previously enjoyed tasks, low moods and motivation
- Low levels of serotonin : low levels of mood an anxiety, changes in sleeping and eating patterns
Describe the genetic reasoning of the Biological explanation
- Current evidence has shown that first degree relatives such as parents/ siblings which share 50% of DNA are likely to transmit bipolar or unipolar. from one generation to the next.
What is the Main theory in Oruc et al.
- The study suggests that lower serotonin activity may be linked to bipolar disorder, suggesting further investigation into genetic factors influencing serotonin levels.
Which receptors are involved the susceptibility of BP
- 5HT2c
- 5HTT
What is the aim in Oruc et al.
Whether the genes that are used to code for certain serotonin receptors are involved in the susceptibility to bipolar
Describe the sample of Oruc etal.
- 42 in total (25 females , 17 males)
- all contained type 1 bipolar disorder
- were from 2 Croatian hospitals
- age range of 31-70 years
- 16 of these patients had first degree relatives with a mood disorder
- there was an included control group with 40 participants that had no previous mood disorder or any that runs in the family.
What was the experimental design and how did they carry it out in ost et al.
- Matched pairs design
- by matching them based on sex and age
What was the procedure in Oruc
- They carried out DNA testing to test for polymorphisms (variation) in the genes responsible for a particular serotonin receptor
- These genes were selected because alterations in them have lead to disturbances in the biochemical pathways