clinical psychology subsets

Question 1

schizophrenia

Answer 1

persecutory ideation in VR – freeman

biological explanations:
- comt gene (absence)
- DISC1 gene (GABA - excess dopamine)

biochemical:
- the dopamine deficiency hypothesis
- the dopamine hypothesis (excess L-Dopa and overactive synapses)

cognitive:
errors in self-monitoring
difficulties with mentalising
thinking errors and biases

bio treatment:
typical and atypical antipsychotics
ECT
TMAP

psiho treatment:
CBT

Question 1

OCD

Answer 1

MOCI, The Yale-Brown OCD scale

bio explanations:
5-HTT gene (imbalance of seretonin)
MAO-A (genes that code for serotonin receptors)
no allele of the DRD4 gene - imbalance of dopamine
no COMT gene - excessive dopamine
absence of SLTRK5 gene - decreased BDNF protein
Oxytocin

psiho explanations:
cognitive - thinking error (thought event fusion, overestimation of personal responsibility)
behavioural - operant conditioning
psychodynamic - id VS ego

bio treatments:
SSRIs - increase seretonin (+antipsychotics)
Tricyclics - increase seretonin, dopamine, norandrenaline

psiho treatments:
Exposure and Response Prevention (CBT)

Key study: Lovell - telephone administered CBT

Question 2

Mood affective disorder

Answer 2

beck’s depression inventory

bio explanations:
monoamine hypothesis
seretonin imbalances
dopamine

psiho explanations:
beck’s cognitive theory + faulty thinking strategies
attributional style
learned helplessnes

bio treatments:
tricyclics
SSRIs
MAOIs

psiho treatments:
REBT
Beck’s cognitive reconstructing

Key study: Oruc et al (5-HTT and 5-HTC2)

Question 3

anxiety and fear related disorders

Answer 3

GAD-7 and BIPI

bio explanations:
threat to survival
de novo mutation
NTRK3 gene

psiho explanations:
behavioural - classical conditioning
psychodynamic - displacement, dreamwork…

psiho treatments:
behavioural therapy: counter conditioning
systematic desensitisation
CBT (+exposure with cognitive fear structure)
applied tension

Key study: Chapman and delapp - treating BII with CBT and applied tension case study

Question 4

impulse control disorders

Answer 4

bio explanations:
reward deficency syndrome (allele 1 of D2 which codes for dopamine receptors - reduced sensitivity)

psiho explanations:
behavioural - positive reinforcement
cognitive - miller’s feeling state theory

bio treatments:
opiate antagonists

psiho treatments:
covert sensitisation (vomit)
imaginal desensitisation (script)

Key study: grant et al…