Dopamine Hypothesis

Question 1

Dopamine hypothesis

Answer 1

-Schizophrenia is the result of abnormal levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine which increases the firing rate in neurons and has a stimulating effect on cells, it is associated with positive symptoms of schizophrenia-dopamine inducing drugs like amphetamine and LSD are associated with schizophrenia like symptoms suggesting a potential basis to the disorder

Question 2

Randrup et al-kelser

Answer 2

-Induce schizophrenia in a rat using dopamine increasing amphetamines suggesting high dopamine causes schizophrenia like symptoms-reversed with dopamine antagonist-Kellser used brain scans to show higher dopamine levels in the brains with those with the disorder

Question 3

+Practical application

Answer 3

-Led to an effective treatment for schizophrenia-phenothiazines which decrease levels of dopamine in the brain

Question 4

Limitations

Answer 4

-Overlooks the role of other neural correlates

-Correlation or causation

-Contradicted by other approaches

-Reductionist, overlooks the role of environmental factors in causing the disorder-cannot solely explain schizophrenia.