Psychological And Sociological Principles Flashcards

1
Q

Mind and body dualism

A

What is the difference between the mind and brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Advantages of classifications in health

A

Facilitate reporting and inform public health issues such as allocation of resources
•Facilitate meaningful communication and debate between patients, professionals, organisations and legislators
•Promote a feeling of being understood (“we’ve seen this before – your problems are not unique”)
•Provide a framework for research
•Offer evidence for treatment options and some information about natural history and prognosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Disadvantages of classifications in health

A

Improved scientific understanding makes a mockery of previous attempts to classify (e.g. phrenology)
•Categorisation means defining thresholds which are arbitrary
•depression / dysthymia / fed up
•obese / well built / chubby / slender
•Categorisation can lead to stigma and prejudice
•Economy of thought may lead to oversimplification, reductionism and ultimately inhumane action

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is used to classify mental disorders

A

ICD 10

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Role of emotion

A

Motivator for learning
Means of best obtaining rewards/avoiding punishment = stimulus-reinforcer association and instrumental (action-outcome) learning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Emotion

A

A strong feeling deriving from one’s circumstances, mood or relationship with others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Movement and emotion

A

Ability or inability to act determines which cluster of emotions is felt

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Theories of emotion

A

Basic
Appraisal
Psychological constructionist
Bayesian model

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Theories of emotion: appraisal

A

Meaningful interpretation of an object/situation by individual
Action readiness
May be automatic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Theories of emotion: psychological constructionist

A

Psychical compounds of basic ingredients (affect + ideational component)
Internal state subject of meaning analysis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Theories of emotion: basic

A

Biologically privileged emotion automatically triggered by objects/events
Hard-wired circuits
Variability: cultural ‘display rules’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Models of emotional categorisation

A

Discrete
Dimensional (valence and arousal)
Componential

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Eckman’s 6 basic emotions

A

Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Surprise

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Orbitofrontal cortex- appraisal

A

Input - ventral cortical streams (identity)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Orbitofrontal cortex: medial -reward

A

Activation: subjective pleasantness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Orbitofrontal cortex: lateral - punishment/ non-reward

A

Negative reward predictions error
Expectation of punishment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Mesolimbic pathway

A

Important in reward/behaviour responses
Connected to amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex
Ventral tegmental area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Amygdala- appraisal

A

Conditioned responses to stimuli predicting harm
Facial expression recognition
Slower response in reversal learning tasks
Little involved in subjective emotional experience

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Identification of emotions

A

Sight- V1, V2, V4, inferior temporal visual cortex
Taste- nucleus of the solitary tract, thalamus, insular taste cortex
Smell- olfactory bulb
Touch- thalamus VPL, somatosensory cortex and insula
Auditory- temporal auditory cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Appraisal of emotions

A

Amygdala
Orbitofrontal cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Regulation of emotions

A

Cognitive and attentional top-down bias
Dorsal and ventrolateral frontal lobes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Reactivity of emotions

A

Cingulate cortex
Striatum/basal ganglia
Lateral hypothalamus, insula
Medial and ventromedial prefrontal cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Reactivity: cingulate cortex

A

Action-outcome learning
Anterior: outcome
Posterior: action
Mid: output to premotor areas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Posterior cingulate cortex inout

A

Parietal lobes- spatial/action related information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Posterior cingulate cortex output

A

Hippocampus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Anterior cingulate cortex

A

Outcome
Subgenual: reward signals from medial OFC
Supracollosal: punishment/non-reward data from lateral OFC

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Mid cingulate cortex

A

Output to premotor areas (eg SMA)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Reactivity: ventromedial prefrontal cortex

A

Reward related decision making
Synaptic networks signal value of chose offer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Reactivity: hypothalamus and insula

A

Modulated by:
OFC via anteroventral insula and subgenual cingulate cortex
Amygdala- hypothalamus and Periaqueductal grey

Feedback from autonomic output not needed for emotional behaviour/feelings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Suppression of emotions

A

Autonomic and endocrine responses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What part of the brain is involved in stimulus-response habit learning

A

Striatum/ basal ganglia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What part of the brain is involved in action-outcome learning

A

Cingulate cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What part of the brain is involved in choice value and decision making

A

Medial prefrontal cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What does OFC stand for

A

Orbitofrontal cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Sensation

A

A mental process resulting from the immediate external stimulation of a sense organ
I.e. touch smell taste sight hearing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Perception

A

The ability to become aware of something or understand something following sensory stimulation
I.e. tactile olfactory gustatory visual auditory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Bottom up processing

A

Sensation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Top down processing

A

Perception

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Bottom up processing-visual

A

Nasal/temporal retina
Optic nerve
Optic chiasma
Lateral geniculate nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Top down processing -visual

A

Primary visual cortex- brain begins to process what you have seen and make connections

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

2 forms of retina

A

Temporal
Nasal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

Bottom up processing - auditory

A

Everything up to auditory cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Perceptual set

A

The psychological factors that determine how you perceive your environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

What adds to perceptual set

A

Context
Culture
Expectations
Mood and motivation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Illusion

A

An instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a sensory experience

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Hallucinations

A

Experiences involving the apparent perception of something not present

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Features of bottom up processing

A

Immediate response before processing what has happened eg jumping when scared

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Features of top down processing

A

After brain processes what has happened

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Gestalt theory effect

A

Used in advertising
Subconscious top down processing to engage audience with advertising more

different ways individuals group stimuli together in order to make a whole that makes sense to them.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

Gestalt theory mechanisms

A

Proximity
Common fate (parallel lines)
Continuity
Closure
Symmetry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

Thatcher effect

A

phenomenon where it becomes more difficult to detect local feature changes in an upside-down face, despite identical changes being obvious in an upright face

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

Hallucinations in psychiatry

A

Schizophrenia
Depression with psychosis
Bipolar affective disorder
Schizoaffective disorder
Drug induced psychosis
Acute transient psychosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

How many people experience hallucinations within their lifetime

A

1 in 20

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

Prevalence of schizophrenia

A

1 in 100

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

What investigation is used to investigate hallucinations

A

fMRI

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

What can cause hallucinations

A

Neurological
Drugs
Sensory deprivation
Abnormal physiological deprivations- eg sleep deprivation
Infections - delirium
Psychiatric illnesses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

Hallucinations are …

A

Top down processing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

Expectations and hallucinations

A

PTSD
Expecting certain emotions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

Bio-psycho-social model of treatment

A

Bio = medications
Psycho = psychologists - therapy
Social= social networks, connections, friends, family

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

Delivery of raw data

A

Sensatiom

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

Interpretation of raw data

A

Processing of raw data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

How many categories of mental illness/conditions are there

A

9

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

9 categories of mental illness/conditions

A

The organic illnesses
The dependency states – alcohol; drugs
The mood disorders
The anxiety states
The psychoses
The behavioural disorders
Neurodiversity
Childhood disorders
Personality disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

The organic illnesses

A

The dementias
Delirium

Examples of rarer forms of organic presentations:
B12 and Folate deficiency
Cushing’s disease
Thyrotoxic storm
Wilson’s disease
And many more physical illnesses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

Examples of rarer forms of organic presentations:

A

Examples of rarer forms of organic presentations:
B12 and Folate deficiency
Cushing’s disease
Thyrotoxic storm
Wilson’s disease
And many more physical illnesses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

The dementias

A

Alzheimer’s
Vascular dementia
Lewy body
Frontotemporal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

Types of Alzheimer’s

A

Rx- acetylcholine esterase inhibitors
Rx- glutamate bloackade

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

Types of Vascular dementia

A

Subcortical
Stroke related
Multi-infarct

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
69
Q

The dependency states

A

Drugs eg heroin, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines
Alcohol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
70
Q

Mood disorders

A

Depressive illness (unipolar)
Mania (unipolar)
Bipolar
Cyclothymia- extreme mood swings
Low mood (adjustment disorders, burnout , life setting)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
71
Q

The anxiety states

A

Generalised anxiety disorder
Panic attacks
OCD
Derealisation-depersonalisation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
72
Q

The psychoses

A

Schizophrenia
Acute and transient psychosis
Monosymptomatic delusion
Post-natal (puerperal) psychosis
Drug induced psychosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
73
Q

The behavioural disorders

A

Sleep
Sex
Eating
Hanits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
74
Q

Neurodiversity

A

The developmental disorders:
Autism
ADHD
learning disability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
75
Q

Conditions related to childhood

A

Separation anxiety
General anxiety states
School refusal
Other behavioural problems
Sexual, psychological and physical abuse

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
76
Q

Personality disorders

A

Borderline PD
Dissocial PD

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
77
Q

Causes of delirium

A

Infection
Temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
78
Q

What is delirium

A

Acute onset of confusion

79
Q

Dementia vs delirium

A

Onset
- acute onset = delirium
- progressive = dementia

80
Q

How long does alcohol withdrawal take

A

2 weeks

81
Q

How long heroin withdrawal take

A

72 hours

82
Q

Symptoms and signs to look for in alcohol withdrawal

A

Epileptic fits
Panicking anxiety
Craving
Physical tremors
Vomiting
Gastritis
Red face

83
Q

Clinical depression symptoms

A

Serotonin stimulated pathways:

Loss of appetite
Loss of sex drive
Early morning waking (can get to sleep but wake up earlier than usual feeling awful- throughout the day begin to feel better)

84
Q

When does a predisposition to alcohol attachment arise

A

25 years old

85
Q

How many young men suffer with OCD

A

1 in 10

86
Q

Which brain centre is stimulated with anxiety

A

Bed nucleus- anticipation of something going wrong
Predictive behaviour

87
Q

Role of the bed nucleus

A

Anxiety
Gender identity
Appetite
Dampens startle response- in men only (somatostatin)
Social recognition
Parental bonding

88
Q

What drives sexual orientation

A

Hypothalamus

89
Q

Eustress

A

Positive stress which is beneficial and motivating
- typically the experience of striving for a goal which is within reach

90
Q

Distress

A

Negative stress which is damaging and harmful
- typically occurs when a challenge (or threat) is not resolved by coping or (rapid) adaptation

91
Q

Physical stressors

A

Insults or injuries that produce direct physiological effects, eg damage of body rid due and/or bodily threat (pain, haemorrhage or inflammation)

92
Q

Where are physical stressors processed

A

Brainstem and hypothalamus- reflexive

93
Q

Stressors

A

Causes

94
Q

Stress response

A

Physiological or psychological- mediated by the brain

95
Q

Psychological stress

A

Stimuli that are perceived as excessively demanding or threatening, often involving anticipation

96
Q

What areas of the brain are involved in psychological stress

A

Prefrontal cortex
Amygdala
Hippocampus

97
Q

3 phases of stress response

A

Alarm
Adaptation
Exhaustion

98
Q

Alarm

A

Threat identified- body’s response is state of alarm (fight or flight)

99
Q

Adaptation

A

Body engages defensive countermeasures

100
Q

Exhaustion

A

Body runs out of defences and resources are depleted

101
Q

Homeostasis

A

Maintaining internal environment necessary for cell function

102
Q

Allostasis

A

How complex systems adapt (eg via HPA axis) to changing environments by changing set-points

103
Q

Allostatic load

A

Cumulative exposure to stressors , which if unrelieved leads to systems ‘wearing out’

104
Q

Acute stress

A

Brief response to a novel but short-lived situation experienced by the body as a danger
Conscious perception of threat is not always involved
Healthy and adaptive and necessary for survival = fight or flight

105
Q

Causes of acute stress

A

Noise
Short-term danger eg fire
Brief physiological change eg hunger or cold
Brief illness

106
Q

Chronic stress

A

Arises from repeated or continued exposure to threatening or dangerous situations, especially those that cannot be controlled
More likely to involve appraisal and conscious perception

107
Q

Examples of chronic stressors

A

Physical illness, disability and pain
Physical or sexual abuse
Poverty including poor housing, hunger, cold or damp, debt
Unemployment
Bullying or discrimination
Caregiving

108
Q

5 elements of human stress response

A

Biochemical
Physiological
Behavioural
Cognitive
Emotional

109
Q

How are stress responses mediated

A

Via autonomic nervous system and hypothalamo-pituitary axis (HPA)
Lead to changes that influence future responses to stress also reflecting brain plasticity

110
Q

Sympathomedullary pathway

A

Hypothalamus activates the adrenal medulla
Adrenal medulla (controlled by ANS) releases adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream
Body prepares for fight or flight- adrenaline and noradrenaline reinforces the pattern of sympathetic activation eg increased heart rate and blood pressure
Energy

111
Q

Hormones involved in sympathomedullary pathway

A

Adrenaline
Noradrenaline

112
Q

The pituitary-adrenal system

A

Higher brain centres activate hypothalamus
Hypothalamus releases corticotrophin (CRF)
Pituitary gland releases adrenocorticotrophic (ACTH)
Adrenal cortex releases corticosteroids
Corticosteroids causes changes-liver releases energy and the immune system is suppressed

113
Q

Action of corticosteroids

A

Liver releases energy
Immune system suppressed

114
Q

Hormone the hypothalamus releases in response to stress

A

Corticotrophin (CRF)

115
Q

Hormone the adrenal cortex releases in response to stress

A

Corticosteroids

116
Q

Hormones the Adrenal medulla releases in response to stress

A

Adrenaline and noradrenaline

117
Q

Hormone the pituitary gland releases in response to stress

A

Adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH)

118
Q

Catecholamines

A

Adrenaline
Noradrenaline

119
Q

Biochemical and molecular stress response

A

Steroids especially glucocorticoids (cortisol)
Catecholamines (adrenaline & noradrenaline)
The so-called sympathetic nervous system (SNS) ‘fight-or-flight’ chemicals

Inflammation and immune response are important & complex, mediated and modified by adrenaline and cortisol. Effects can be pro- and anti-inflammatory, and GCCs also have direct effects on the CNS.
Acute stress: immune suppression (anti-inflammatory)
Chronic stress: partial immune suppression + low-grade chronic inflammatory response, possibly through epigenetic effects on gene expression
Balance between immune activation & autoimmunity disrupted in chronic stress response (NB reduced vaccination response)
Immunosenescence?

120
Q

Acute stress and immune response

A

Immune suppression- anti-inflammatory

121
Q

Chronic stress and immune response

A

partial immune suppression + low-grade chronic inflammatory response, possibly through epigenetic effects on gene expression
Balance between immune activation & autoimmunity disrupted in chronic stress response (NB reduced vaccination response)
Immunosenescence?

122
Q

Fight or flight chemicals

A

Steroids= glucocorticoids (cortisol)
Catecholamines = adrenaline and noradrenaline

123
Q

Inflammation and immune response and stress

A

important & complex, mediated and modified by adrenaline and cortisol.
Effects can be pro- and anti-inflammatory, and GCCs also have direct effects on the CNS.

124
Q

Hormones involved in stress and immune response

A

Adrenaline
Cortisol

125
Q

Fast physiological stress response

A

Breathing more rapid to increase oxygen
Blood flow increases up to 400%, directed to heart & muscles
Increased heart rate & blood pressure
Muscles tense
Glucose released, insulin levels fall: boost energy to muscles
Red blood cells discharged from the spleen
Mouth becomes dry & digestion is inhibited
Sweating
Cytotoxic & surveillance WBCs go where injury & inflammation may occur i.e. bone marrow, skin, lymph nodes

126
Q

Immunosenescence

A

Rapid aging of the immune system as a response to chronic stress

127
Q

Physical (somatic) effects of chronic stress

A

Headache
Chest pain
Stomach ache
Musculoskeletal pain
Low energy
Loss of libido
Colds & infections
Cold hands & feet
Clenched jaw & grinding teeth

128
Q

Behavioural responses to stress

A

Easily startled & hypervigilant
Change in appetite – both directions
Weight gain (obesity) or weight loss
Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities
Increased use of alcohol, drugs & smoking
Nail biting, fidgeting and pacing
Sleep disturbances especially insomnia
Withdrawal

129
Q

Cognitive responses to stress

A

Constant worrying
Racing thoughts
Forgetfulness and disorganisation
Inability to focus
Poor judgement
Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side
Altered learning

130
Q

Emotional responses to stress

A

Depression & sadness
Tearfulness
Mood swings
Irritability
Restlessness
Aggression
Low self-esteem and worthlessness
Boredom & apathy
Feeling overwhelmed
Rumination, anticipation & avoidance

131
Q

What can modify the perception of threat

A

Context
Appraisal
Vulnerability
Learning (past experiences)

132
Q

Stress and illness

A

related to a host of illnesses, esp of cardiovascular and GI systems, ie those with strong ANS connections.

Stress exacerbates physical illnesses and slows recovery and increases susceptibility to infection.

Strong evidence of association between depression and mortality following an MI.

Evidence of causal association between stress and physical illness is still limited, though note emerging evidence that chronic stress increases ‘immune ageing’.

Exposure to stress (trauma) is greater in those experiencing deprivation and with less healthy lifestyles.

133
Q

Stress and cancer

A

Stress linked to survival rather than incidence

134
Q

Stress and cardiovascular disease

A

High blood pressure
Abnormal heart rhythms
MI
Stroke

135
Q

Stress and gastrointestinal problems

A

Inflammatory bowel disease
Irritable bowel syndrome

136
Q

Stress and illness

A

Cancer: stress linked to survival rather than incidence
Cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, MI and stroke
Obesity & eating disorders
Infertility, recurrent miscarriage & menstrual problems
Rheumatoid arthritis
Skin & hair problems eg acne, psoriasis, eczema
Gastrointestinal problems: inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome.
Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS)
Infectious diseases especially covid-19

137
Q

Stress and skin + hair problems

A

Acne
Psoriasis
Eczema

138
Q

Post traumatic stress disorder

A

Vivid flashbacks & nightmares
Intrusive thoughts and images
Sweating
Nausea
Trembling
Hypervigilance & increased startle response
Agoraphobia
Insomnia
Irritability
Impaired concentration

139
Q

Stress management

A

Shiatsu, T’ai Chi, Yoga
Mindfulness
Meditation
Exercise
Sleep hygiene
Friends and family
Healthy diet
Exposure to natural environments
Aromatherapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

140
Q

6 reasons why natural selection left us vulnerable to disease

A

Mismatch
Infection
Constraints
Trade-offs
Reproduction
Defensive responses

141
Q

Routine health data

A

Collected, collated and disseminated on a regular basis

142
Q

Health data

A

Data to describe population health status eg mortality or morbidity
Data about health care
Data on factors influencing health

143
Q

Why collect routine health data

A

Monitor health of the population- descriptive epidemiology
Generate hypotheses in causes of ill health —>further research —> possible prevention
Inform planning of services and policy to meet health needs, including resource allocation
Evaluate and assess performance of policies and services including quality and outcomes
Generate research statistics to be included in summaries for research dissemination and in funding applications

144
Q

Types of health information

A

Mortality
Morbidity (diseases)
Use and quality of health care
Health status/ quality of life
Individual lifestyle (health related behaviour)
Wider determinants (socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions)
Population demographics

145
Q

Mortality statistics

A
  1. Doctor completes certificate of cause of death
  2. ‘Informant’ takes certificate to local registrar and registers death
  3. Copy of registration sent to ONS where causes of death are coded
  4. ONS compile and publish mortality statistics
146
Q

Cause of death recording

A

Underlying cause of death according to WHO:
A. Disease or injury that initiated the train of events directly leading to death, or
B. The circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury

147
Q

Data quality - CART

A

Completeness
Accuracy
Relevance and/or representativeness
Timeliness

148
Q

Health information - morbidity

A

State of being diseased
Degree of severity of disease
Incidence of disease
Prevalence of disease

149
Q

Incidence

A

Number of new cases in a particular population during a particular time interval

150
Q

Prevalence

A

Total number of cases in a particular population at a particular point in time

151
Q

Incidence rate

A

Number of new cases/ population at risk

152
Q

Point prevalence

A

Number of cases at a point in time/ total population

153
Q

Health benefits of green space

A

Improved relaxation and restoration
Improved social capital
Improved functioning of the immune system
Enhanced physical activity, improved fitness and reduced obesity
Anthropogenic noise buffering and production of natural sounds
Reduced exposure to air pollution
Reduction of the urban heat island effect
Enhanced pro-environmental behaviour
Optimised exposure to sunlight and improved sleep

154
Q

Mitigation of harm- urban green

A

Reduce air pollution
Noise reduction
Temperature regulation

155
Q

Conducive to the restoration of depleted capacities - urban green space

A

Reduction of stress
Increases in positive emotions
Facilitation of recovery from attentional fatigue

156
Q

Mechanisms by which green space benefits health and well-being

A

Mitigation of harm
Restoration of depleted capacities
Building new capacities
Microbial diversity

157
Q

Biological symptoms of depression

A

Poor sleep
Poor appetite
Reduced libido
Poor concentration

158
Q

What is depression

A

Low mood
Anhedonia
Low energy
Neurodegenerative disease of impaired plasticity

159
Q

Cognitive symptoms of depression

A

Worthlessness (poor self esteem)
Guilt
Hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts

160
Q

HPA axis and depression

A

Increased corticotropin releasing hormone
Enlarged adrenals and pituitary
Reduced negative feedback
Reduced glucocorticoid receptor expression in the brain

161
Q

HPA axis

A

Hypothalamus —> corticotropin releasing hormone
Anterior pituitary—> adrenocorticotropic hormone
Adrenal cortex —> cortisol

Negative feedback loop = cortisol inhibits release of other 2 hormones

162
Q

History of childhood maltreatment

A

Increased adrenocorticotropic hormone release in response to stress

163
Q

Effect of cortisol (stress) on the brain

A

Neurotoxic
Causes neuro-vulnerability
Affects dendrite formation
Reduces neurogenesis
Causes changes to the EEG

Particularly affects frontal lobes and hippocampus

164
Q

Medial pre-frontal cortex

A

Evaluating emotional state
Social cognition

165
Q

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

A

Working memory
Problem solving

166
Q

Which part of the frontal lobe has a larger volume loss in depression

A

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex > medial prefrontal cortex

167
Q

Hippocampus

A

Important for memory

168
Q

Effect of depression on hippocampus

A

Reduced size - up to 20% volume loss
Dose related effect- correlates with number of and length of previous episodes
Associates with learning based cognitive deficits
Much of the volume loss is irreversible

169
Q

Neurogenesis

A

Grow axons and dendrites and integrate into existing networks

170
Q

Stress and neurogenesis

A

Down regulates
Restraint and shock stress causes reduced neurogenesis - particularly when learned helplessness is induced
‘Social dominance stress’ reduces the number of surviving new cells (same rate)

171
Q

Stress and dendrites

A

Mediated by reduced neurotrophins eg brain derived neurotrophic factor

172
Q

Brain derived neurotrophic factor

A

Stress decreases BDNF
Low BDNF in unmedicated depressives

173
Q

How do antidepressants work

A

Increase glucocorticoid receptor expression (regulating HPA activity)
Increase neurogenesis
Increase BDNF synthesis- improve connectivity and increase number of synapses

Affect gene expression

174
Q

Monoamines in the brain

A

Serotonin
Noradrenaline
Dopamine

175
Q

What can lead to depression

A

Acute stress
Previous trauma eg early adversity and parenting

176
Q

MDD

A

Major depressive disorder

177
Q

Function of the default mode network

A

Daydreaming, internal ‘flow’ of consciousness- resting state

Automatically details- self’s place in time and space, projecting to other places in time and space

Self reference- referring to traits or states, emotional and moral reasoning

Thinking about others- theory of mind, social judgements/evaluations

178
Q

Default mode network in depression

A

Depressed people find it hard to appropriately switch off their DMN in response to a task - excessive rumination

179
Q

Entropy

A

Measure of disorder/chaos

180
Q

How does the brain attempt to reduce entropy

A

Top-down processing- makes predictions to reduce surprises
Initially visual predictions and other basic sensory functions
Eventually words, concepts and core beliefs

181
Q

Functional MRI scans

A

Based on oxygen or glucose take up
Functional connectivity- spatially distinct areas of the brain showing similar activity at similar times

182
Q

Functional connectivity

A

Spatially distinct areas of the brain showing similar activity at similar times
Allows the study of networks

183
Q

Default mode network contains

A

Medial prefrontal cortex
Precuneus including the hippocampus

184
Q

Acute psychedelic state

A

Reduced activity in the default mode network- metabolism and functional connectivity
Reduced alpha power in PCC

185
Q

Ego dissolution

A

Correlated with reduction in default mode network
“Inexperienced a decrease in my sense of self-importance”

186
Q

High entropy- high disorder, flexible states

A

Psychedelic state
Infant consciousness
REM sleep/dreaming
Early psychosis
Sensory deprivation
Near death experience
Magical thinking
Dreamy state of temporal lobe epilepsy
Divergent- thinking/creativity

187
Q

Low entropy- low disorder, rigid states

A

Come
Anaesthesia
Sedation
Deep sleep
Seizure
Depression
OCD
Addiction
Rigid/narrow thinking

188
Q

Mindfulness meditation

A

Short (8 week) course of daily mindfulness practice reduces activity in the default mode network
And treats and prevents depression

Focus on breath- increasing attention and being more aware of one’s own mind

189
Q

Depression is

A

A disease of reduced plasticity- reduced connectivity at cellular level
A disease of increased self-referential thinking- reduced connectivity at the interpersonal level

190
Q

Social rank theory

A

After a prolonged fight for dominance there is a role for submission

191
Q

Social risk theory

A

Sensitivity to social risk
Inhibition of confident behaviour
‘Cry for help’

192
Q

Depressogenic modern society

A

Over-emphasis on the self and one’s ‘rank’
Self-referential ruminations
Fear of social threat

193
Q

5 pillars of wellbeing

A

Physical activity
Connect with others
Learn something new
Practice mindfulness
Acts of generosity

194
Q

Some psychiatric diagnoses are associated with issues of either ‘over-control’ or ‘under-control’. Which of the following behaviours would be typical of an individual with ‘over-control’ traits?

A

Good at delayed gratification