Mental Illness

Question 1

T. Pallidum symptoms and treatment

Answer 1

Symptoms: syphilis (mania and cognitive deterioration)

Treatment: penicillin

Question 2

Niacin (Vitamin B3 deficiency) symptoms

Answer 2

Agitation, impaired reasoning, depression

Question 3

HIV symptoms

Answer 3

Cognitive and behavioral impairments

Question 4

Freuds theory of mental illness

Answer 4

Psychoanalysis: there’s a conflict between what the conscious and unconscious psyche desire

Question 5

Skinners theory of mental illness:

Answer 5

Behaviorism: mental illnesses are learned behaviors that can be treated through unlearning those behaviors

Question 6

Examples of anxiety disorders

Answer 6

Panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, social phobia, PTSD

Question 7

Benzodiazepine:

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

Answer 8

Inhibit the reuptake of serotonin; used to treat anxiety; take a few weeks to work; mediated by transporter in presynaptic axonal terminal and glia

Question 9

Organs in the HPA axis

Answer 9

Involved: hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal gland

Regulated by: amygdala, hippocampus

Question 10

CRH

Answer 10

Corticotropin Releasing Hormone: peptide hormone released by hypothalamus

Question 11

ACTH

Answer 11

Adrenocorticotropic hormone: peptide hormone released by the pituitary that induces the release of cortisol within a few minutes

Question 12

Cortisol

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Regulation of HPA axis

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Chronic stress:

Answer 14

Exposure to cortisol for extended periods of time; death of hippocampal neurons

Question 15

Examples of affective disorders and their treatments

Answer 15

Major depression and bipolar disorder

Treatments: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), psychotherapy, antidepressants

Question 16

Symptoms and classification of bipolar disorder

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Monoamine hypothesis

Answer 17

Theorizes that depression is caused by deficit in the diffuse modulatory system (Low serotonin and NE)

Question 18

Monoamine oxygenase

Answer 18

Enzyme that oxygenizes serotonin and NE to lower their concentration; low MAO concentration is linked to depression

Question 19

Reserpine

Answer 19

Depletes catecholamines and serotonin, and inhibits loading of neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles; linked to depression

Question 20

Diathesis stress hypothesis

Answer 20

Genetic/environmental status influences the HPA axis to cause mood disorders (diathesis= genetic predisposition)

Question 21

Evidence for diathesis stress hypothesis

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Types of antidepressants

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Types of Schizophrenia

Answer 23

Paranoid: delusions, rehab is used for treatment
Disorganized: “flat affect”, incoherent speech
Catatonic: peculiarities of voluntary movement

Question 24

Positive vs negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Physiological changes associated with schizophrenia

Answer 25

Defects in myelin sheath, abnormal clusters of neurons, large ventricles

Question 26

Dopamine hypothesis

Answer 26

Psychotic behaviors of schizophrenia are triggered by activation of dopamine receptors

Question 27

Evidence for dopamine hypothesis

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Glutamate hypothesis

Answer 28

Inhibition of NMDA receptor causes schizophrenia

Question 29

Evidence for glutamate hypothhesis

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Some causes if mental illness:

Answer 30

Microorganisms, nutrition, chemicals, and genetics