Intro to Psych / Reproductive Psych

Question 1

What’s Axis I?

Answer 1

All clinical diagnoses other than personality disorders and mental retardation.

Question 2

What’s Axis II?

Answer 2

Axis II is personality disorders and mental retardations. These are conditions that broadly affect all social interaction, and are considered to be permanent.

Question 3

What’s Axis III?

Answer 3

Medical conditions - hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc.

Question 4

What’s Axis IV?

Answer 4

Psychosocial stressors: work stress, poverty, etc. etc.

Question 5

What’s Axis V?

Answer 5

Global assessment of function - ranging from 0 - 100. Less than 30 is immediately worrisome.

Question 6

What is the definition of a personality disorder? (3 features)

Answer 6

A pattern of inner experience or behavior that…

• deviates from the norm
• is inflexible
• causes impairment or distress

Question 7

Are personality disorders egosyntonic or egodystonic? What does this mean?

Answer 7

Personality disorders are generally considered egosyntonic - people aren’t aware that they’re abnormal.
(Contrast with someone with OCD, who might be very aware that their behavior isn’t normal. That’s egodystonic.)

Question 8

What sort of personality disorders are in Cluster A?

Answer 8

“odd, bizzarre” distrustful, etc.

Question 9

3 specific personality disorders in Cluster A and a brief definition?

Answer 9

Paranoid - distrustful, suspicious
Schizoid - detachment from social relationships
Schizotypic - eccentric, odd beliefs (incense, crystal, cat-ladies?)

Question 10

What sort of personality disorders are in Cluster B?

Answer 10

“dramatic, emotional”

Question 11

4 specific personality disorders in Cluster B? give a brief description of each

Answer 11

Antisocial
Borderline
Histrionic
Narcissistic

Question 12

Give a brief description of antisocial personality disorder?

Answer 12

Disregard for others, lack of remorse.

Question 13

Brief description of borderline personality disorder?

Answer 13

Intense fear of abandonment and frequent self-harm.

Question 14

Brief description of histrionic personality disorder?

Answer 14

Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.

Question 15

Brief description of narcissistic personality disorder?

Answer 15

Grandiosity, lack of empathy, and intense need for admiration.

Question 16

What sort of personality disorders are in Cluster C?

Answer 16

ones marked by anxiety and fear

Question 17

Name 3 personality disorders in Cluster C?

Answer 17

Avoidant
Dependent
Obsessive compulsive

Question 18

Briefly describe avoidant personality disorder?

Answer 18

Social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy.

Question 19

Briefly describe dependent personality disorder.

Answer 19

Submissive, clingy behavior.

Question 20

Briefly describe obsessive compulsive personality disorder.

Answer 20

Preoccupation with order and perfection, difficulty delegating and making decisions.

Question 21

What’s “normal” picture drawing behavior, roughly, for young girls and boys?

Answer 21

Girls: more people, faces
Boys: more cars, scenes w/o people
(Editorial: I guess there’s something too this… but I’m still unsure that this isn’t mostly cultural)

Question 22

What evidence from picture drawing do we have about when and what sets up sex-based differences in the brain? Is this an organizational or activational effect?

Answer 22

Girls exposed to more testosterone in utero (adrenal hyperplasia) draw more “masculine” pictures… and this doesn’t seem to reverse itself.
This is an organizational effect.

Question 23

How does the timing of presentation of diseases with sex-based predisposition vary between males and females?

Answer 23

Females: onset is usually at or after menarche
Males: conditions tend to be developmental

Question 24

Are there differences in the ability of men and women to recognize non-verbal communication (facial expression, body language, etc.)?

Answer 24

Yes, women tend to be better at.

still skeptical that this isn’t based in gender culture

Question 25

What can you measure to determine exposure to testosterone in utero?

Answer 25

Ratio of length of 2nd digit to 4th digit.

Longer 4th digit is associated with greater exposure to testosterone in utero.

Question 26

What affect does testosterone have on women’s ability to recognize facial expression? Does it vary with exposure to exposure to testosterone in utero?

Answer 26

Testosterone decreases women’s performance at facial identification.
This decrease in performance effect is only significant in women exposed to greater levels of testosterone in utero.

Question 27

Does the testosterone - facial expression identification relationship represent an organizational or activational effect?

Answer 27

It’s both. Giving testosterone to women previously exposed appears to unmask an organizational effect.

Question 28

What’s the take-home point about sex-based differences in serotonin / its receptors etc.?

Answer 28

It’s different between men and women. Exactly how… is actively being researched.

Question 29

What are 4 effects of estrogen on serotonin?

Answer 29

Overall effect: estrogen (ET) is pro-serotonergic (5-HT).

• ET increases transcription of tryptophan hydroxylase mRNA (enzyme that makes serotonin).
• ET reduces clearance of 5-HT by SERT.
• ET increases density of 5-HT 2A receptor.
• ET decreases MAO levels, thereby increasing 5-HT levels.

Question 30

What effect does serotonin have on dendritic spines?

Answer 30

It increases the amounts present.

Question 31

How does progesterone affect GABA? Does this happen in men?

Answer 31

Progesterone is converted to allopregnanalone. Allopregnanalone acts like a barbituate / benzo to potentiate GABA activity, leading to increased cortical inhibition.
Yep, this happens in men too.

Question 32

If progesterone potentiates GABA activity, why don’t most women feel drugged (i.e. like they’ve taken benzos/barbituates) when progesterone spikes in the luteal phase / during pregnancy?

Answer 32

Normally, “the brain compensates” for this difference. Not compensating could partially explain why a minority of women get PMS / PMDD.

Question 33

What is oxytocin involved with?

Answer 33

Aside from milk letdown and orgasm…

Increases “filial” behavior, love, friendship, monogamy, etc. etc.

Question 34

What affect does oxytocin have on amygdala activation in response to viewing scary scenes / threatening faces?

Answer 34

Oxytocin decreases amygdala activation in response to these stimuli.

Question 35

What are some criteria for PMDD?

Answer 35

Must appear with the beginning and disappear at the end of the luteal phase.
Must cause significant distress / impairment.
One of: depression / anxiety / irritability.

Question 36

What’s the range of onset for PMDD? Pattern of progression?

Answer 36

Onset can be any time from menarche to menopause.
Onset can be triggered by an “obstetric event.”
Tends to get worse with age.

Question 37

What’s an effective treatment for PMDD?

Answer 37

SSRIs just taken during luteal phase.

Question 38

Do women with PMS / PMDD have increased levels of estrogen / progesterone?

Answer 38

No. It’s not abnormal levels, it’s the brain’s response to it that is abnormal.