Mental Illness Flashcards
T. Pallidum symptoms and treatment
Symptoms: syphilis (mania and cognitive deterioration)
Treatment: penicillin
Niacin (Vitamin B3 deficiency) symptoms
Agitation, impaired reasoning, depression
HIV symptoms
Cognitive and behavioral impairments
Freuds theory of mental illness
Psychoanalysis: there’s a conflict between what the conscious and unconscious psyche desire
Skinners theory of mental illness:
Behaviorism: mental illnesses are learned behaviors that can be treated through unlearning those behaviors
Examples of anxiety disorders
Panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, social phobia, PTSD
Benzodiazepine:
Anxiolytic molecule that binds to the GABAa receptor to open the channel; used to treat anxiety; alcohol also binds to the GABAa receptor; only for short term use
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
Inhibit the reuptake of serotonin; used to treat anxiety; take a few weeks to work; mediated by transporter in presynaptic axonal terminal and glia
Organs in the HPA axis
Involved: hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal gland
Regulated by: amygdala, hippocampus
CRH
Corticotropin Releasing Hormone: peptide hormone released by hypothalamus
ACTH
Adrenocorticotropic hormone: peptide hormone released by the pituitary that induces the release of cortisol within a few minutes
Cortisol
Is a glucocorticoid (steroid hormone) released from the adrenal cortex that induces physiological changes (stress hormone; increases blood glucose and blood pressure, suppresses immune system, decrease bone formation and increase osteoclast differentiation
Regulation of HPA axis
Amygdala activates HPA axis b/c projects into bed nucleus of stria terminalis
Glucocorticoid released by HPA axis returns to hippocampus and binds to glucocorticoid receptors to inactivate HPA
Chronic stress:
Exposure to cortisol for extended periods of time; death of hippocampal neurons
Examples of affective disorders and their treatments
Major depression and bipolar disorder
Treatments: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), psychotherapy, antidepressants
Symptoms and classification of bipolar disorder
Symptoms: inflated self esteem, less need for sleep, talkative, easily distracted, goal-oriented
Classification: Type 1: mania; Type 2: hypomania- accompanied by depression, cyclothymia- mild form of hypomania
Monoamine hypothesis
Theorizes that depression is caused by deficit in the diffuse modulatory system (Low serotonin and NE)
Monoamine oxygenase
Enzyme that oxygenizes serotonin and NE to lower their concentration; low MAO concentration is linked to depression
Reserpine
Depletes catecholamines and serotonin, and inhibits loading of neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles; linked to depression
Diathesis stress hypothesis
Genetic/environmental status influences the HPA axis to cause mood disorders (diathesis= genetic predisposition)
Evidence for diathesis stress hypothesis
1) depressed patients have hyperactive HPA
2) child abuse and neglect increases likelihood of developing affective disorder
3) high glucocorticoid receptor expression results in stressed adults
4) injecting CRH into rats induces depression 5) sensory experiences can induce high glucocorticoid receptor expression which leads to lower HPA activity
Types of antidepressants
Re-uptake: tricyclic compounds inhibit the reuptake of NE and 5HT
MAO inhibitor: inhibit oxidation (degradation) of NE and 5HT
Lithium: cation that passes through Na channel to prevent PIP2 turnover and interfere with adenyl cyclase
Types of Schizophrenia
Paranoid: delusions, rehab is used for treatment
Disorganized: “flat affect”, incoherent speech
Catatonic: peculiarities of voluntary movement
Positive vs negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Positive: dopamine increases in limbic system, activation occurs in temporal lobe to cause auditory and visual hallucinations
Negative: dopamine concentration decreases in the prefrontal cortex
Physiological changes associated with schizophrenia
Defects in myelin sheath, abnormal clusters of neurons, large ventricles
Dopamine hypothesis
Psychotic behaviors of schizophrenia are triggered by activation of dopamine receptors
Evidence for dopamine hypothesis
1) amphetamine and catecholamine overdose are both linked to schizophrenic like behavior; amphetamine inhibits reuptake of NE and dopamine
Fun fact: amphetamine is also used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy
2) dopamine D2 receptor blockers reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Glutamate hypothesis
Inhibition of NMDA receptor causes schizophrenia
Evidence for glutamate hypothhesis
Phencyclidine (PCP) is an antagonist of NMDA receptor and causes hallucinations and paranoia, PCP intoxication causes symptoms of schizophrenia, NMDA knock out mice exhibit schizophrenia
Some causes if mental illness:
Microorganisms, nutrition, chemicals, and genetics
