Exam 3 - Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders Flashcards
What is the hallmark of schizophrenia?
psychosis - a significant loss of contact with reality
When was the first clinical description of schizophrenia?
1810
What are the risk factors for schizophrenia?
- Lifetime prevalence
- Age of father
- Country
- Onset age
- Gender
What is the age of onset for schizophrenia? Gender differences?
- 18-30
- Males peak @ 20-24
- Women peak @ 40 and just after 60
What are the hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia?
- delusions
- hallucinations
- disorganized speech
- disorganized and catatonic behavior
Delusions
- erroneous belief
- fixed and firmly held
- disturbance in the content of thought
Hallucinations
- sensory experience, can occur in any sensory modality, but the most common is auditory
- seems real but occurs in absence of any external perceptual stimulus
What are neologisms?
form of disorganized speech, made up words that sound like real words
Disorganized speech
- manifestation of delusions
- failure to make sense - have a multitude of thoughts in the middle of sentences
Disorganized and catatonic behavior
- impairment of goal-directed activity
- occurs in areas of daily functioning
- almost no movement
- disregard personal safety and hygiene
What are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
- delusions and hallucinations
- normal people do not exhibit these symptoms
What are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
- decreased speech and catatonia
- absence or deficit of normally present behaviors
Schizoaffective disorder
have all of the symptoms of schizophrenia, and a mood disorder
Schizophreniform disorder
schizophrenia symptoms for no longer than 6 months, usually about 1 month
Delusional disorder
normal overall, but have delusions
Brief psychotic disorder
experience all of the symptoms of schizophrenia for only a few days due to stress
Shared psychotic disorder
sharing a delusion with someone
Genetic factors are clearly implicated in schizophrenia. True or false?
True, the closer the relation, the more at risk
What are the prenatal exposure causal factors for schizophrenia?
- prenatal infections
- rhesus incompatibility (R+ mom and R- infant)
- early nutritional deficiencies
- perinatal birth complications (hypoxia, breaching, etc.)
Brain lesions/abnormalities lie ______ until normal developmental changes occur.
dormant
What brain areas are abnormal in schizophrenia?
- decreased brain volume
- enlarged ventricles
- frontal lobe dysfunction (underactive frontal lobe)
- reduced volume of the thalamus
- abnormalities in temporal lobe areas (auditory stimuli are processed here)
Brain abnormalities are found in all patients with schizophrenia. True or false?
False
Which neurotransmitters are implicated in schizophrenia, and what symptoms are they responsible for?
- dopamine - positive symptoms
- glutamate - positive and negative symptoms
The ____________ of the brain may also be implicated in schizophrenia.
cytoarchitecture
Do “bad families” cause schizophrenia?
No, they are not the sole cause, but they can cause a relapse or be a trigger for it.
What are the psychosocial and cultural aspects of schizophrenia?
- socioeconomic status
- immigrants
- cannabis smokers
What are the pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia? Which of these helps with positive and negative symptoms?
- antipsychotics and second-generation antipsychotics
- second-generation antipsychotics
What are the psychosocial approaches to treating schizophrenia?
- family therapy
- case management
- social-skills training
- cognitive remediation
- CBT (not as effective for negative symptoms)
- stress management to avoid relapse
Who is Wednesday the Rat?
Jenny’s hallucination/delusion
What is the long-term institutionalization rate for individuals with schizophrenia?
about 12%
How many patients with schizophrenia had improved?
about 38% in 15-25 year outcomes
What are neologisms?
form of disorganized speech, made up words that sound like real words
