Psychopathology Flashcards
Delusion
A false belief strongly held in spite of contrary evidence
Dissociative thinking
A condition, seen in schizophrenia, that is characterized by disturbances of thought and difficulty relating events properly.
Schizophrenia
A severe psychopathology characterized by negative symptoms such as emotional withdrawal and impoverished thought, and by positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.
Positive symptom
A behavior that is gained in a disorder. Ex. Hallucinations, delusions, excited motor behavior in schizophrenia.
Negative symptom
A symptom that reflects insufficient functioning. Ex emotional and social withdrawal, blunted affects, slowness and impoverishment of thought and speech.
Concordant
Any trait that is seen in both individuals in a pair of twins
Discordant
Any t hat that is seen in only one individual of a pair of twins.
Endophenotype
Behavioral or physical characteristic accompanying susceptibility to a particular disorder. Used to identify those at risk
DISC -1
“Disrupted in schizophrenia”. If knockout in mice, get disordered behavior.
Ventricular abnormalities
Bigger ventricles, take away from limbic system, smaller amygdala–> blunted affect. Pyramidal cells in hippocampus are disorganized.
Cortical abnormalities
Hypofrontal hypothesis- less activation. Difficulty with tasks involving frontal cortex w schizophrenia. Ex working memory, attention, inhibition of responses. Basis of frontal lobotomy.
Dopamine hypothesis
Schizophrenia results from either excessive levels of synaptic DA or excessive postsynaptic sensitivity to DA.
Chlorpromazine
Reduced positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Typical neuroleptic
Neuroleptics
Aka antipsychotics. A class of drugs that alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia typically by blocking DA receptors. Or GLU
Amphetamine psychosis
A delusional and psychotic state, closely resembling acute schizophrenia that is brought on by repeated or high use of amphetamine. Works on DA receptors.
Glutamate hypothesis
Schizophrenia may be caused, in part, by understimulation of GLU receptors. Not enough GLU to override DA. Found by observation of PCP activity
Psychomimetic
A drug that induces a state resembling schizophrenia.
Clozapine
Atypical neuroleptic. Selectively blocks 5HT receptors but not DA receptors. For schizophrenia
Environmental contributors
Prenatal events, nutrition, drugs and alcohol, early life stress, viruses.
Bipolar disorder
Freq confused with schizophrenia. Alternating moods. Manic episodes look like schizophrenia. Same genetics as schizophrenia
Manic episode
Caused by high rate of dumping of NE, 5HT, and DA (monoamines), increases reactivity of brain
Depressive episode
Rapid depletion of NE, 5ht, and DA.
Bipolar disorder treatments
Atypical neuroleptics working on 5HT receptors and lithium.
Lithium
Most effective at treating bipolar disorder. Works w circadian clock, boosts bdnf.
Blocks overexpression of monoamines.
Narrow safety margin.
Unipolar depression
Reduced activity, decreased interest in eating, sleep- circadian rhythm off. Sadness, loss of interest, concentration.
Many genes implicated
Brain changes
Increased prefrontal cortex and amygdala, decrease other cortical areas
Electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT)
Increased connectivity btw frontal cortex and other areas (opposite lobotomy). Last resort treatment. Do not have to put too much electricity in.
MAO
An enzyme that breaks down and thereby inactivated monoamine transmitters. MAOis inhibit. But inhibit MAOs everywhere in body.
Reserpine
A drug that causes depletion of monoamines and can lead to depression
Tricyclics
Drugs that inhibit reuptake of monoamines so they increase monoamine activity
SSRIs
Block channel to reuptake serotonin but not other monoamines. Increase GABA and hippocampal neurogenesis. Also have SSRF for NE.
Serotonin syndrome
Syndrome of confusion, muscle spasms, and fever that may occur when brain levels of 5HT are too high; a risk of taking SSRI
Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
Mild electrical through an electrode that is surgically implanted deep in the brain.
Hypothalamic-pituitary -adrenal axis (HPA)
High cortisol, depression inducing stress rxn.
Dex suppression test
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.
Sleep patterns in depression
Cycle is one phase advanced. More intense R.E.M., a lot no stage 3 and 4 sleep
Learned helplessness
decrease 5HT and DA. Learn that nothing they do matters, don’t try to do anything
Anxiety disorder
Any class of psychological disorders that include recurrent panic stage, generalized persistent anxiety dis, and ptsd. Assoc with increased vigilance and orientation to environment
GABA activity in anxiety
Decreased. Depressants bind and act as noncompetitive agonists of GABA to increase inhibitory behavior.
Benzodiazepines
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.
Anxiolytics
A class of substances that are used to combat anxiety. Ex alcohol, barbs, benzodiazepines. And allopregnanolone.
PTSD
A disorder in which memories of an unpleasant episode repeatedly plague the victim. Hippocampus is smaller in ppl with ptsd- more susceptible.
Fear conditioning
Form of learning in which fear comes to be associated with a previously neutral stim. In ptsd
OCD
A syndrome in which the affected individuals engages in recurring, repetitive acts that are carried out without reason or the ability to stop.
Neural loop.
Frontal cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, back to cortex. Stuck in this loop in OCD. Basal ganglia forms habitual behaviors.
