Exam 1 Flashcards
Psychopathology: 3 areas of study
- description + classification of symptoms (DSM)
- Underlying causes (etiology)
- Prognosis, course, + treatment outcome
Rosenhan Study
8 pseudo patients admitted to 12 psychiatric hospitals
“empty, hallow, thud” report words to doctors there
avg 19 day stay (schizo in remission)
began acting normally after admission
tested reliability of psychiatric diagnosis
concluded we can not distinguish sane from insane in psychiatric hospitals
NCS
National comorbidity survey
first nationally representative mental health survey in the U.S. to use a fully structured research diagnostic interview to assess the prevalence and correlates of DSM-III-R disorders.
Culture and Religion
paranoid schizophrenia most common diagnosis in African Americans; cultural competency
3 parts of brain involved in personality
Dorsolateral PFC
Orbital PFC
Mesial cingulate PFC
Dorsolateral PFC
executive function
deficits in planning, sustaining attention
depression most common with DPFC damage
problems with dealing with complex situations
Orbital PFC
Limbic system (emotion)
social inappropriateness
mania/hypomania
disinhibition / impulsivity
Mesial Cingulate PFC
Akinetic Mustism
lack of movement / speech
Delirium
disturbance of attention + awareness
disturbance develops over short period of time
medication/drugs can lead to delirium
replaced in DSM with major/minor neurocognitive disorders
Major neurocognitive disorder
evidence of significant cognitive decline
concern of individual, clinician, or knowledgeable informant
test scores below 3rd percentile
Minor neurocognitive disorder
evidence of modest cognitive decline
modest performance on standardized neuropsychology testing (3rd-16th percentile)
cognitive deficits do not affect ADL (activities of daily living)
not accounted for by delirium
DAT (dementia alzheimer’s type)
senile plaques
neurofibrillary tangles
brain degeneration
Senility
age-related decline of brain
probable alzheimer’s
either evidence from genetic testing is found or all 3 of following: 1. clear evidence of decline in memory 2. steady, progressive decline 3. no evidence of mixed etiology
Phineas Gage
lesion in left frontal lobe
substance use
pathological recurrent use of a substance
Tolerance
built resistance to a drug (e.g. alcohol)
Withdrawal
physical and mental effects felt after reducing or stop taking a drug
Theories for alcohol abuse
psychodynamic
ego can’t cope with reality so person turns to outside sources for help
oral fixation that results in excessive ETOH use
Theories for alcohol abuse
object relations
get rid of inner motherly voice
genetics + alcoholism
Danish adoption studies : biological son of alcoholic more likely to be affected
less reactive = drink more
Theories for alcohol abuse
behavioral
tension-reduction hypothesis:
alcohol reduces stress + anxiety (negative reinforcement)
Learned behavior (reinforced)
Expectancy theory
expectations when consuming alcohol:
social performance, reduce anxiety, increase power
Social learning theory
alcohol improves self-efficacy
cocaine (asking for neurotransmitters)
binds to dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin receptors
stimulant
caffeine (asking for neurotransmitter)
blocks adenosine
3 types of opiod receptors
Mu: pain relief, euphoria, respiratory depression
Kappa: pain relief and dysphoria
Delta: pain relief
Specific phobia disorder
marked fear or anxiety about specific object/situation
immediate fear or anxiety is provoked
fear is out of proportion to actual danger
duration is 6+ months
social phobia disorder (social anxiety disorder)
- marked fear/anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny of others
- fear of negative evaluation
- perceived presence of others who may be critical
Panic Disorder
- panic attack is single episode of panic symptoms
- recurrent, unexpected panic attacks
- attacks followed for 1+ months with:
1. concern about another panic attack
2. maladaptive change in behavior
Agoraphobia
- fear of places/situations where escape would be difficult in event of panic attack
- fear of open spaces
GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)
constant worrying about number of life events that lasts longer than normal (at least 6 months)
OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
- occurrence of unwanted or intrusive thoughts (obsessions) accompanied with compulsive behaviors to neutralize these thoughts
- presence of obsession, compulsion, or both
GABA
inhibitory neurotransmitter in brain
natural sedative to reduce anxiety
GABA agonists depolarizes neurons
Amygdala
fear organ - fear response
Rachman 3 pathways to fear
- classic conditioning
- vicarious acquisition through direct or indirect observations
- informational acquisition
PTSD
there must be a precipitating event
recurrent dreams or memories
flashbacks
intense psychological distress at cues
Fear of Fear theory
3 variants of panic attacks:
- interceptive conditioning
- pair internal sensations with panic - catastrophic thoughts
- Anxiety sensitivity
- more sensitive to anxiety symptoms in general
main symptom of GAD
person lives in state of anxious apprehension
Difference between ASD and PTSD
ASD: duration is between 3 days to 1 month
PTSD: after 1 month ASD becomes PTSD
Adjustment disorder
Adjustment disorder is a group of symptoms, such as stress, feeling sad or hopeless, and physical symptoms that can occur after you go through a stressful life event. The symptoms occur because you are having a hard time coping. Your reaction is stronger than expected for the type of event that occurred.
Danish adoption studies
biological son of alcoholic is more likely to be affected
McNally et al
- panic patients exhibit a bias for interpreting ambiguous stimuli as threatening.
- panic patients may be characterized by a memory bias for retrieving anxiety information, in contrast to GAD patients, who show no such bias.
Wise et al
- it suggests that drug cravings result from more than one source
- If a variety of addictive substances have positive reinforcing effects through a common biological mechanism, then one drug should have some of the same subjective consequences of, and partially satisfy the urge for, another.
