Lecture 8 Flashcards
What are the three Cluster A personality disorders ?
- Paranoid PD
- Schizoid PD
- Schizotypal PD
What are the general characteristic of Cluster A PDs ?
Odd, eccentric & socially withdrawn behavior
What is the estimated prevalence of Cluster A PDs in the general population ?
4%
What is the core feature of Paranoid PD ?
Pervasive distrust & suspicion of others
How does PPD differ from schizophrenia ?
PPD does not involve persistent delusions or hallucinations and occurs independently of schizophrenia
What cognitive bias is common in PPD ?
Personalizing bias: blaming others rather than the situation for negative events
What reasoning bias is common in PPD ?
“Jump-to-conclusions” bias: making rapid decisions with limited evidence
How does CBT explain PPD ?
It emphasizes the belief that others are malevolent, leading to hypervigilance and misinterpretation of social cues
What are the three core features of Schizoid PD ?
- Social detachment
- Withdrawal
- Restricted affectivity/anhedonia
How does SPD relate to age ?
Older adults report more schizoid traits due to smaller social networks and reduced interest in sexual activity
What is a potential neurodevelopmental cause of SPD ?
Prenatal malnutrition, as seen in individuals exposed to famine during gestation
How does SPD differ from Schizotypal PD ?
SPD lacks paranoid ideation, magical thinking & disorganized behavior
What are the three core features of STPD ?
- Peculiar perceptions & beliefs
- Interpersonal deficits
- Disorganized behavior
What are examples of “ideas of reference” in STPD ?
Believing TV shows or songs are secretly about them, or seeing hidden messages in everyday objects
How does STPD relate to schizophrenia ?
It shares some cognitive-perceptual distortions but lacks the severe positive symptoms like full-blown hallucinations
What are common cognitive impairments in STPD ?
- Attention deficits
- Memory deficits
- Impaired executive functioning
What genetic evidence supports a link between STPD and schizophrenia ?
STPD is more common in first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and shares brain abnormalities with schizophrenia
What environmental factors contribute to STPD ?
- Childhood trauma
- Perinatal risks (e.g., low birth weight, prenatal malnutrition)
- Urban upbringing
What is the reasoning bias in individuals with high schizotypy ?
Failure to consider counterexamples, leading to rigid or mistaken beliefs
How is schizotypy related to creativity ?
Positive schizotypy traits (e.g., unusual thinking) are associated with increased creativity in artists and word association tasks
How are Paranoid PD and Schizotypal PD similar ?
Both involve suspiciousness, but PPD lacks magical thinking and perceptual distortions
How are Schizoid PD and Schizotypal PD similar ?
Both involve social withdrawal, but SPD lacks paranoid ideation, magical thinking & disorganized behavior
What is the primary pharmacologic treatment for Cluster A PDs ?
Antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine, risperidone) may help STPD but have minimal evidence for PPD & SPD
What symptoms are targeted in pharmacotherapy for Cluster A PDs ?
- Affective dysregulation
- Cognitive-perceptual symptoms
- Impulsive aggression
What psychological therapy is used for Cluster A PDs ?
CBT, particularly for reducing cognitive biases and improving social functioning
What are common comorbidities of STPD ?
- Major depressive disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Paranoid PD (60% comorbidity)
- Schizoid PD (33% comorbidity)
What genetic and environmental factors contribute to STPD ?
- Heritability ~60%
- Common genetic risk with schizophrenia
- Environmental stressors (e.g., prenatal malnutrition, childhood trauma)
What pharmacological treatments have shown some effectiveness for STPD ?
- Antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine, risperidone, haloperidol)
- Antidepressants (e.g., fluoxetine)
- Treatment is case-dependent
What symptoms do medications target in Cluster A ?
- Affective dysregulation (e.g., mood instability)
- Cognitive-perceptual symptoms (e.g., hallucinations)
- Impulsive aggression (e.g., self-harm, suicidality)
What cognitive biases are addressed in CBT for STPD ?
- Jumping to conclusions
- Misinterpretation of social cues
- Emotional processing difficulties
