Psychopathology

Question 1

Delusion

Answer 1

A false belief strongly held in spite of contrary evidence

Question 2

Dissociative thinking

Answer 2

A condition, seen in schizophrenia, that is characterized by disturbances of thought and difficulty relating events properly.

Question 3

Schizophrenia

Answer 3

A severe psychopathology characterized by negative symptoms such as emotional withdrawal and impoverished thought, and by positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.

Question 4

Positive symptom

Answer 4

A behavior that is gained in a disorder. Ex. Hallucinations, delusions, excited motor behavior in schizophrenia.

Question 5

Negative symptom

Answer 5

A symptom that reflects insufficient functioning. Ex emotional and social withdrawal, blunted affects, slowness and impoverishment of thought and speech.

Question 6

Concordant

Answer 6

Any trait that is seen in both individuals in a pair of twins

Question 7

Discordant

Answer 7

Any t hat that is seen in only one individual of a pair of twins.

Question 8

Endophenotype

Answer 8

Behavioral or physical characteristic accompanying susceptibility to a particular disorder. Used to identify those at risk

Question 9

DISC -1

Answer 9

“Disrupted in schizophrenia”. If knockout in mice, get disordered behavior.

Question 10

Ventricular abnormalities

Answer 10

Bigger ventricles, take away from limbic system, smaller amygdala–> blunted affect. Pyramidal cells in hippocampus are disorganized.

Question 11

Cortical abnormalities

Answer 11

Hypofrontal hypothesis- less activation. Difficulty with tasks involving frontal cortex w schizophrenia. Ex working memory, attention, inhibition of responses. Basis of frontal lobotomy.

Question 12

Dopamine hypothesis

Answer 12

Schizophrenia results from either excessive levels of synaptic DA or excessive postsynaptic sensitivity to DA.

Question 13

Chlorpromazine

Answer 13

Reduced positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Typical neuroleptic

Question 14

Neuroleptics

Answer 14

Aka antipsychotics. A class of drugs that alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia typically by blocking DA receptors. Or GLU

Question 15

Amphetamine psychosis

Answer 15

A delusional and psychotic state, closely resembling acute schizophrenia that is brought on by repeated or high use of amphetamine. Works on DA receptors.

Question 16

Glutamate hypothesis

Answer 16

Schizophrenia may be caused, in part, by understimulation of GLU receptors. Not enough GLU to override DA. Found by observation of PCP activity

Question 17

Psychomimetic

Answer 17

A drug that induces a state resembling schizophrenia.

Question 18

Clozapine

Answer 18

Atypical neuroleptic. Selectively blocks 5HT receptors but not DA receptors. For schizophrenia

Question 19

Environmental contributors

Answer 19

Prenatal events, nutrition, drugs and alcohol, early life stress, viruses.

Question 20

Bipolar disorder

Answer 20

Freq confused with schizophrenia. Alternating moods. Manic episodes look like schizophrenia. Same genetics as schizophrenia

Question 21

Manic episode

Answer 21

Caused by high rate of dumping of NE, 5HT, and DA (monoamines), increases reactivity of brain

Question 22

Depressive episode

Answer 22

Rapid depletion of NE, 5ht, and DA.

Question 23

Bipolar disorder treatments

Answer 23

Atypical neuroleptics working on 5HT receptors and lithium.

Question 24

Lithium

Answer 24

Most effective at treating bipolar disorder. Works w circadian clock, boosts bdnf.
Blocks overexpression of monoamines.
Narrow safety margin.

Question 25

Unipolar depression

Answer 25

Reduced activity, decreased interest in eating, sleep- circadian rhythm off. Sadness, loss of interest, concentration. Many genes implicated

Question 26

Brain changes

Answer 26

Increased prefrontal cortex and amygdala, decrease other cortical areas

Question 27

Electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT)

Answer 27

Increased connectivity btw frontal cortex and other areas (opposite lobotomy). Last resort treatment. Do not have to put too much electricity in.

Question 28

MAO

Answer 28

An enzyme that breaks down and thereby inactivated monoamine transmitters. MAOis inhibit. But inhibit MAOs everywhere in body.

Question 29

Reserpine

Answer 29

A drug that causes depletion of monoamines and can lead to depression

Question 30

Tricyclics

Answer 30

Drugs that inhibit reuptake of monoamines so they increase monoamine activity

Question 31

SSRIs

Answer 31

Block channel to reuptake serotonin but not other monoamines. Increase GABA and hippocampal neurogenesis. Also have SSRF for NE.

Question 32

Serotonin syndrome

Answer 32

Syndrome of confusion, muscle spasms, and fever that may occur when brain levels of 5HT are too high; a risk of taking SSRI

Question 33

Deep brain stimulation (DBS)

Answer 33

Mild electrical through an electrode that is surgically implanted deep in the brain.

Question 34

Hypothalamic-pituitary -adrenal axis (HPA)

Answer 34

High cortisol, depression inducing stress rxn.

Question 35

Dex suppression test

Answer 35

A test of the pituitary-adrenal function in which the subject is given dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid hormone, which should cause a decline in the production of adrenal corticosteroids. If have depression, do not stop secreting cortisol.

Question 36

Sleep patterns in depression

Answer 36

Cycle is one phase advanced. More intense R.E.M., a lot no stage 3 and 4 sleep

Question 37

Learned helplessness

Answer 37

decrease 5HT and DA. Learn that nothing they do matters, don't try to do anything

Question 38

Anxiety disorder

Answer 38

Any class of psychological disorders that include recurrent panic stage, generalized persistent anxiety dis, and ptsd. Assoc with increased vigilance and orientation to environment

Question 39

GABA activity in anxiety

Answer 39

Decreased. Depressants bind and act as noncompetitive agonists of GABA to increase inhibitory behavior.

Question 40

Benzodiazepines

Answer 40

A class of anti anxiety drugs that bind with high affinity to receptor molecules in the cns. Ex diazepam (Valium). Not as debilitating as barbiturates.

Question 41

Anxiolytics

Answer 41

A class of substances that are used to combat anxiety. Ex alcohol, barbs, benzodiazepines. And allopregnanolone.

Question 42

PTSD

Answer 42

A disorder in which memories of an unpleasant episode repeatedly plague the victim. Hippocampus is smaller in ppl with ptsd- more susceptible.

Question 43

Fear conditioning

Answer 43

Form of learning in which fear comes to be associated with a previously neutral stim. In ptsd

Question 44

OCD

Answer 44

A syndrome in which the affected individuals engages in recurring, repetitive acts that are carried out without reason or the ability to stop.

Question 45

Neural loop.

Answer 45

Frontal cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, back to cortex. Stuck in this loop in OCD. Basal ganglia forms habitual behaviors.