Psychiatric Didorders Flashcards
Why do mental illnesses exist?
- Smoke detector principle
- Genes vs. Individuals
- Mismatch Theory
Nosology
The branch of medical science dealing with the classification of diseases
How are mental disorders defined?
Presence of clusters or patterns of symptoms (i.e. syndrome)
Psychotic disorders
A group of disorders characterized by hallucinations and/or disturbed thinking/behavior
All psychiatric disorders are characterized by at least one of the following
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Negative symptoms
- Disorganized thinking/behavior
Schizophrenia
Characterized by significant impairments in perception, thoughts, moof, and behavior
Schizophrenia symptoms
Positive: hallucinations and delusions
Negative: loss of willpower, anhedonia, and asociality
Cognitive deficits: memory, processing speed, attention
Dtages of schizophrenia
Premorbid (0-10), prodrome (10-20), onset/progression (20-35), chronic/residual stage (35+)
Dopamine hypothesis
A model that attributes the positive symptoms of schizophrenia to a disturbed and hyperactive dopaminergic signal trandfuction
Antipsychotic drugs
- Haloperidol: D2 antagonist
- Risperidone: D2 antagonist and blocks serotonin receptors
-Clozapine: more effective than others
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder
Persistent perceptual disturbances after (repeated) hallucinogen use
Anti NMDA receptor encephalitis
- autoimmune disorder caused by antibodies against NMDA receptors in brain
-NMDAR-antibodies enter the brain and result in NMDAR depletion and impaired connectivity between neurons
Bipolar disorder
Extreme mood swings that include emotional highs and lows
Mood stabilizers
Can generally treat and prevent both the depressive and manic episodes in bipolar disordet
Major depressive disorder
A mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest
- no manic or hypomanic episodes
Monoamine hypothesis of depression
Posits that underlying psychophysiologic basis of depression is deficiency of the monoamine neurotransmitters seretonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in CNS
Antidepressants
SSRIs block the reuptake of seretonin in the brain
Electroconvulsive therapy
-safe and effective treatment for depression
-electric currents are intentionally delivered to the brain to induce a generalized seizure
Obsessive compulsive disorder
-characterized by recurrent intrusive or disturbing thoughts (obsessions), which provoke mental or physical countermeasures to alleviate obsessive thoughts
-ERP is first line
-Medication treatment is with SSRIs and clomipramine
Functional neurological disorders
Conditions that cause neurological symptoms without an apparent structural problem in the nervous system
Which part of the brain is implicated in Schizophrenia?
VTA
