Exam 3.1 Flashcards
How is schizophrenia characterized?
- Extreme obscurity in perception, thought processes, actions, and sense of self
What is psychosis?
Significant loss of contact with reality
What is démence précoce?
- Early classification for schizophrenia
- Benedict Morel
- Mental deterioration at an early age
What is dementia praecox?
- Early classification for schizophrenia
- Latin version of Morel’s term
- Describes a group of conditions related to early-life mental deterioration
- Suspicion of others, hallucinations,
apathy/indifference, withdrawn behavior, and
inability to work/function normally
- Suspicion of others, hallucinations,
How was the diagnostic term “schizophrenia” created?
- Eugen Bleuer (1911)
- “schizo”: to split or crack
- “phren”: mind
- Disorganization of thought; discrepancies in coherence between thoughts and emotions
- Internal “split” within intellect and emotion
- Internal “split” between intellect and external reality
What is the average lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia?
0.7%
What is the difference between males and females, in regard to symptom severity in schizophrenia?
- Males usually have more severe symptoms
- Females have better projected long-term outcomes
When do most cases of schizophrenia initially occur in life?
Late adolescence, Early adulthood
What are groups that are more susceptible to schizophrenia?
- Those with a parent with schizophrenia
- Those with older fathers at time of birth
- Those with a parent that works as a dry cleaner
- 1st and 2nd generation immigrants
- Particularly black Caribbean, black African
counties
- Particularly black Caribbean, black African
What is the common onset of schizophrenic symptoms, and what is the difference between males and females?
- Onset often occurs from 18-30 years old
- Men: more likely to have early age of onset
- Women: onset is more likely between ages 20-24
What is positive-symptom schizophrenia?
Symptoms that have been added; reflect distortions in a typical pattern of behavior and experience
- Ex. Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized
thinking
What is negative-symptom schizophrenia?
An absence of or deficit in behaviors that are typically present
- Reduced expressive behavior (blunted and flat affect, alogia–very little speech)
- Reductions in motivations/experience of pleasure
What is avolition?
Inability to pursue goal-oriented activities
What is anhedonia?
Diminished ability to experience pleasure
What is a delusion?
Belief that is held despite there being evidence of the contrary
What are common delusions?
- External source(s) controlling thoughts, feelings, or actions
- Private thoughts are being broadcasted to others
- External source(s) planting thoughts in brain
- External source(s) extracting thoughts
- Neutral event has special meaning (ex. television, radio)
- Bodily changes (ex. bowels not working)
What is a hallucination?
Any sensory experience that seems real to the person having it but is from a nonexistent stimulus
- Increased activity in Broca’s area
How was the word hallucination created?
Hallucinere, or Allucinere: “wander in mind”, “idle talk”
Can healthy minds experience hallucinations?
Yes, if under enough stress and drink lots of caffeine
How does disorganized speech manifest in schizophrenia?
- Disorganization of thought form
- Person seems to be using correct semantic and syntax rules but fails to make sense to the listener(s)
- Often includes made up words (ex. detone)
How does disorganized behavior manifest in schizophrenia?
- Disruption in executive behavior
- Can manifest in a variety of ways
- Impairment in routine daily functioning (ex. work,
self-care, social relations) - Unusual/eccentric appearance
- Impairment in routine daily functioning (ex. work,
What is catatonia?
Catatonic stupor: Individual displays lack of movement and speech, may hold unusual posture for a period of time
- Aspect of disorganized behavior in schizophrenia
What is Schizoaffective Disorder?
- “Hybrid” diagnostic category
- Describes people with features of both schizophrenia and mood disorder
- Subtypes based on different unipolar and bipolar
conditions
- Subtypes based on different unipolar and bipolar
What are the mood symptoms like in a schizoaffective diagnosis?
Mood symptoms meet the major mood episode criteria and are present for 50% of total duration of condition
- Speculation allows for increased reliability and
decreased number in people that are diagnosed
What is the long-term outlook for those with schizoaffective disorder, in comparison to schizophrenia?
Long-term outcome is better for those with schizoaffective disorder
What is Schizophreniform Disorder?
Category for those that have schizophrenia-like psychoses that last for less than 6 months
What is Delusional Disorder?
Individuals have beliefs that are considered false and obscure, but can behave normally
- Behavioral deterioration and performance
deficiencies are rarely visible externally
What is Erotomania?
- Subtype of delusional disorder
- Delusion involves love and obsession for someone–usually of higher status (ex. celebrities, serial killers)
What is Brief Psychotic Disorder?
- Sudden onset of psychotic symptoms, disorganized speech, or catatonic behavior
- Usually only lasts a few days before individual returns to normal functioning
- May never have an episode again
- Often triggered by stress
What are the genetic factors associated with schizophrenia?
- Genetic predisposition
- Prenatal conditions
- Candidate genes
- Endophenotypes
What blood-relation has the highest predisposition to schizophrenia?
Monozygotic/Identical twins