Introduction To Mental Health Flashcards
What influences behaviors?
Genetic components
Epigenetic components
Environmental components
awareness of these components reduces stigma around mental health
What is phrenology?
A controversial type of medicine seen in the 1800s that suggested that skull structure dictates cognitive functions
- fallen very out of favor by the 1900s
What is the differences between the primary and association areas of the brain?
Primary = just supplies sensory input from the external world.
- there is something there, but not sure why
- doesnt interpret
Association = interprets the sensory information and integrate it with internal drives/memories and emotional stimuli
- is the limbic system
the interaction between both produces a behavioral output
What is the difference between organic and function mental disorders
Organic = a physiological reason for why mental function is altered
- lesion/tumor/injury
- neurotransmitter diseases
- pharmaceutical effects
- endocrine abnormalities
- genetics/abnormal development of brain
Function = impaired function but there is no obvious physiological reasoning
- dementia
- use of pharmacological agents that the MOA is not completely known
key difference is an organic issue is when mental disorders appear with no prior history until associated event occurs
What is the “connectome”
Cognitive functions are formed by a series of complex pathways in which multiple brain regions contribute piece by piece.
- therefore the brain can be considered a interconnected organ instead of multiple pieces.
Why are twin studies used so much in psychiatric research?
Is the best type of study to determine the cause active effect of nature vs nurture.
- monozygotic twins raised apart both get a disorder = strongest way of determining genetic component
- dyzygotic twins raised together both get a disorder = strongest way of determine environmental causes
- also dyzygotic and monozygotic twins raised together all get a disorder = environment*
Why is laboratory tests and imaging limited in utility in diagnosis of psychiatric diagnoses?
Limited non-invasive tools to study what is needed
These lack specificity and are only sensitive for a psychiatric disorder in general
It is almost impossible in todays day and age to determine the exact circuit of a psychiatric disorder
- note that some lab valves are associated with psychiatric diseases, however lab values are NEVER used as a diagnostic criteria since they are collected globally/broadly, not specifically to a region in the brain*
- usually only used to rule out organic causes*
What is the gold standard for diagnosing psychiatric disorders?
The DSM-5 mental disorder book
most psychiatric disorders are diagnosed via exclusion and the impression/interpretation of both he patient and physician. must rule out all organic possibilities
Limitations of the DSM-5
Categories so not represent biologically distinct entities
- a lot of symptoms overlap
Biological based treatments dont align perfectly with this syndrome-based diagnostic method
- same drug can treat multiple diagnoses
- same drug can have a wide variety of efficiency for treating a disorder
Endophenotypes
An internal phenotype associated with a set of objective characteristics that are NOT physically visible to the unaided eye
- unique characteristics and behaviors that are intangible to physical science, but can still be recorded/observed
ex: two people look identical, but one is extroverted and the other is introverted
What are the goals of treatment of psychiatric disorders?
What the patient wants
Alleviation of the patients suffering
Restoration of patient functionally according to their individual and respective baseline function
- cant get better than it originally was
- best treated as a biopsychosocial approach*
- bio = medications
- psycho = psychotherapy
- social = social supportive measures
What is the most important aspect of treatment for psychiatric disorders?
The patient must trust the physician.
Robust vs plastic characteristics of neuronal networks
all neuronal networks have both
Robust = genetic mutations and environmental factors must reach an “effect threshold” for symptoms to actually manifest and be present
- built in protection against disorders
Plastic = neuronal connections undergo changes in strength and intensity based on use
- the more a connection/circuit is used, the stronger and more efficient it will be
- “neurons that wire together, fire together”
