MOod Disorders Flashcards
What are features of depressive disorders
Patient usually have the symptoms continually for 2 weeks and consist of at least 2 core symptoms • CORE SYMPTOMS – Low mood – Lack of energy – Lack of enjoyment & interest
- Depressive thoughts
- Somatic symptoms/Biological symptoms
- In severe cases may have psychotic symptoms
What is the difference betwee a normal adjustment reaction and depression
Ss
Desribe personality as a abuse or depressive symptoms
Our personality is defined by:
• How we get on with people, ability to make relationships • Extrovert or introvert
• How empathetic we are
• How anxious and nervous we are; or how confident
• How we can make plans and stick to these plans
• How we respond in stressful circumstances
• Our overriding mood
Some people have a sense of not being happy within themselves, sometimes related to a feeling of emptiness. This does not necessarily mean that they are depressed
What is mania/hypomaia
- Elevated Mood
- Increased energy
- Pressure of speech
- Reduced sleep
- Flight of ideas
- Normal social inhibitions are lost
- Attention cannot be sustained
- Self esteem is inflated, often grandiose • May have psychotic symptoms
- Only require these symptoms for 1 week
Whar is bipolar disorder
No diagnosis of recurrent mania . You dont have to have an episode of depression to be diagnosed with bipolar
• Made following 2 episodes of a mood disorder at least one of which is mania or hypomania.
• Therefore you don’t ever have to have a diagnosis of depression to be given the diagnosis bipolar disorder.
• Bipolar 1 – episodes of mania
• Bipolar 2 – no episodes of mania, only hypomania - no psychotic symptms
What are examples of physical disorders causing mood disorders
There are many illnesses that can cause depressive symptoms including:
• Hormone disturbance such thyroid dysfunction • Vitamin deficiencies such as vitamin B12
• Heart and lung diseases
• Blood vessels not functioning well
• Kidney disease • Liver disease
Describe a link between alcohol/drug misuse and mood disorder
- People drinking too much over a period is a well known cause of developing depressive symptoms
- A number of recreational drugs cause depressive symptoms, especially drugs that initially induce a feeling of happiness and wellbeing such as XTC or amphetamines.
What are brain structures involeved in mood disorders
Limbic system, frontal lobe, basa ganglia
What are the main functions of the limbic symptoms
Emotion, motivation,memory
What are the frontal lobe functions
- Motor function
- Language (Broca’s area)
- Executive functions (purposeful goal directed behaviours) • Attention
- Memory
- Mood
- Social and moral reasoning
What are the basal ganglia unction
• Motor function; malfunction of the basal ganglia are implicated in neurological illnesses such as - Parkinson's disease - Wilson’s disease - Huntington's disease • Psychological function: - Emotion - Cognition - Behaviour
Describe teh circuits connecting these areas of the brain
The main hypothesis is that mood is determent by functional circuits between these brain areas. E.g. the frontal lobe projects to parts of the limbic system which in turn connects to the basal ganglia and the brainstem. This affects:
• Cognitive processed (thoughts) • Sympathetic output
• Parasympathetic output
• Motor systems
Compare with the symptoms of depression
Describe the main neuroteamissites affected in mood disorders
The two main neurotransmitters for depressive disorders are: • Norepinephrine/Noradrenaline
• Serotonin
Other neurotransmitters important in psychiatric conditions include:
• Dopamine (mania and psychosis)
• Acetylcholine
• GABA
• Glutamate
What are the functions of noradrenaline in the brain
Functions in the brain:
• Mood
• Suggests a role in behaviour (arousal and attention)
• Implicated in memory functions
Made in the locus coeruleus in the brainstem and transported to several areas of the cortex
Decribe the receptors of the NA system
- 4 types of receptors: α 1 and 2 and β 1 and 2
- The function of the β receptors in the brain is not very clear as yet • It is likely that α receptors play a role in arousal and mood
- See for a schematic picture of receptors next slide