Other Nervous System Disorders

Question 0

What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 0

Positive: Hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, abnormal/disorganised behaviour, aggression.

Negative: social withdrawal, flattening of emotional response, anhedonia, disinterest, cognitive deficits, guilt, depression, self harm

Question 1

Give four disorders of the CNS?

Answer 1

Schizophrenia, bipolar disease, depression and anxiety

Question 2

What sort of hallucinations can you have with schizophrenia?

Answer 2

All senses, particularly voices

Question 3

What do delusions in schizophrenia often cause?

Answer 3

Paranoia

Question 4

What can thought disorder in schizophrenia cause?

Answer 4

Loosening of association and speech/language problems

Question 5

What symptoms do younger patients often have?

Answer 5

Positive whereas older patients often have negative

Question 6

What are the causes of schizophrenia?

Answer 6

Genetics, environmental (maternal famine, stress and viral infection or cannabis consumption or urbanisation)

Question 7

What is thought to be the mechanism of schizophrenia?

Answer 7

The dopamine turnover hypothesis, increased DA leads to psychosis. Increase in mesolimbic pathway causes positive symptoms. Decrease in mesolimbic pathway causes negative symptoms.

Also NMDA receptors involved

Question 8

What is lost in schizophrenia?

Answer 8

Grey matter

Question 9

What is bipolar previously known as?

Answer 9

Manic depression or bipolar affective disorder

Question 10

How is bipolar characterised?

Answer 10

By mood swings: mania and depression

Question 11

Give some features of mania?

Answer 11

Increased activity and restlessness, excessive euphoria, irritability, lack of concentration, racing thoughts, insomnia, unrealistic beliefs, poor judgment, spending sprees, increased sex drive, abuse of drugs, provocative/intuitive/aggressive behaviour, denial

Question 12

Give some features of depression?

Answer 12

Lasting sad/anxious/empty mood, feeling hopeless/guilty/worthless, loss of interest and pleasure, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating/remembering, restlessness and irritability, sleeping too much or not being able to sleep, change in appetite, chronic pain, thoughts of death/suicide

Question 13

What are causes of bipolar?

Answer 13

Genetics, environment, dopamine/serotonin/Glutamine systems effected

Question 14

What is the most common affective disorder?

Answer 14

Depression

Question 15

What is the theory that causes depression?

Answer 15

Mono amine theory- decreased function of serotonin and NA systems

Question 16

What is high in depression?

Answer 16

Plasma cortisol and corticotrophin-releasing hormone

Question 17

What are the changes in the brain in depression?

Answer 17

Ventricular enlargement, hippocampus shrinkage, reduced neuronal activity, prefrontal atrophy

Question 18

How is depression treated?

Answer 18

By monoamine uptake inhibition, monoamine receptor antagonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

Question 19

What are the fear responses in anxiety disorders?

Answer 19

Defensive behaviours, autonomic reflexes, arousal/alertness, corticosteroid secretion, negative emotions

Question 20

Give the 5 anxiety disorders?

Answer 20

Generalised anxiety, OCD, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia

Question 21

How are anxiety disorders treated?

Answer 21

Benzodiazepines, barbiturates, SSRIs/SNRIs, buspirone- all effect GABA/serotonin systems.