Mental health + Parkinsons Flashcards
How is schizophrenia seen in an MRI scan of the brain?
Ventricular dilation due to loss of brain tissue
What are the three main types of symptoms in schizophrenia?
Cognitive
Positive
Negative
State some positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Hallucinations
Delusions
Disorganised speech
State some negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Reduced motivation
Reduced emotion
Lack of interest
Lack of pleasure
State some cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia
Lack of attention
Lack of working and verbal memory
What are the four dopaminergic pathways in the brain?
Mesolimbic
Mesocortical
Nigrostriatal
Tuberoinfundibular
What is the mesolimbic pathway associated with?
Mediates pleasure, reward, motivation
Hyperactivity of dopamine mediates positive psychotic symptoms
D2 antagonists treat positive symptoms
What is the mesocortical pathway associated with?
Cognitive function, emotion
Decreased dopamine responsive for negative symtpoms
What is the nigrostriatal pathway associated with?
Motor control
Parkinsonian symptoms
What is the tuberoinfundibular pathway associated with?
Inhibition of prolactin release
Malfunction in which brain circuit are cognitive symptoms associated with?
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
What is the dopamine theory for schizophrenia?
Increased dopamine in subcortical pathways -> psychotic symptoms
Agonists of dopamine e.g. amphetamine induce psychotic symptoms
What is the glutamate theory of schizophrenia?
NMDA hypofunction is induced by genetic and non-genetic factors instilled in the brain in early development triggers psychosis in adulthood.
NMDA antagonist phencyclidine lead to positive, negative, cognitive and affective symptoms
Which of the two classes of antipsychotics causes most EPS?
Typicals
Name a typical antipsychotic
Haloperidol
Name an atypical antipsychotic
Clozapine
What are the major side effects of atypicals?
Weight gain
CVD
Diabetes
Which class of antipsychotics is ineffective at managing negative symptoms?
Typical
Which class of antipsychotics is associated with motor side effects and why?
Typicals because they have high affinity for dopamine D2 receptors not only in areas needed but else where so can affect motor function and cause tardive dyskinesia
What percentage of receptor occupancy is required for effective antipsychotic effect?
> 65%
What is the effect of >78% D2 receptor occupancy?
EPS
What is the effect of over 70% D2 receptor occupancy?
Hyperprolactinaemia
Which antipsychotic is associated with most weight gain?
Olanzapine
What are the treatment options for a schizophrenic patient in the prodromal phase?
Offer CBT +/- family intervention. Do not offer antipsychotic