L13 - Biological basis of Sz

Question 1

what are the structural abnormalities in the brain with Sz?

Answer 1

enlarged cerebral ventricles

reduced brain tissue volume in the hippocampus and associated cortex

changes in brain chemicals: dopamine, serotonin and glutamate

Question 2

What’s the dopamine theory?

Answer 2

Amphetamine increases dopamine signalling, causing behaviours that resemble Sz

Antipsychotic drugs are antagonists at dopamine receptors, controlling positive symptoms but it negative or cognitive

Question 3

What is the glutamate theory?

Answer 3

Phencyclidine (antagonist at NMDA-type glutamate receptors) causes behaviors resembling all three symptom domains of schizophrenia.

Abnormalities in glutamate signaling found in schizophrenia brains.

Main cortical signaling involves glutamate, suggesting the core deficit might be glutamate rather than dopamine.

Question 4

What is the serotonin theory?

Answer 4

LSD, a serotonin agonist, causes changes similar to schizophrenia symptoms.

Suggests a role for serotonin in schizophrenia

Question 5

what’s latent inhibition

Answer 5

Measures selective attention and stimulus salience.

Temporal lobe dysfunction linked to positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 6

What are the effects of amphetamine and phencyclidine?

Answer 6

Abolish the effect of pre-exposure in latent inhibition tasks.

Reduce time spent exploring novel objects, indicating cognitive symptoms.

Question 7

Treatment for Sz?

Answer 7

antipsychotics