Psychosis Flashcards
What is the prevalence of schizophrenia in the UK?
1%
What is the life time risk of schizophrenia in the UK?
1%
What age range is the normal time for onset of schizophrenia for men?
18-25
What age range is the normal time for onset of schizophrenia for women?
25-35
Which has an increased prevalence of schizophrenia ; a high or low socioeconomic class? (For extra keenness name the classes + explain why)
Lower socioeconomic class (class IV and V) (A theory to explain this may be that psychosis leads to a ‘drift’ down the social economic scale)
Is schizophrenia more prevalent in rural or urban areas?
Urban areas
Immigrants have a higher prevalence of schizophrenia, but which immigrant group have the highest?
Afro-Caribbean’s
What % concordance is there for schizophrenia between monozygotic twins? (what backs this up?)
50% (adoption studies)
What % concordance is there for schizophrenia between dizygotic twins? (what backs this up?)
10% (adoption studies)
Schizophrenia can be related to developmental factors during which two specific periods?
Pregnancy and Birth
Which two periods of the year are more schizophrenics born? (Why is this the case)
Late winter and spring (as second trimester influenza may play a role)
Do imaging studies show functional or structural changes in the brain due to psychosis?
Haha trick question! Both functional and structural changes can be demonstrated
What are the changes in the brain (shown via imaging) in psychosis caused by?
It can be 2ry to the condition or in fact due to the treatment
Name the 2 main structural changes seen on brain imaging in psychosis? (extra marks for naming the 5 specific areas involved).
Ventricles become enlarged and brain size is reduced (frontal lobes, temporal lobes, hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus)
What are the negative symptoms of psychosis associated with on neuroimaging?
An increase in size of the ventricles
Which pathway in the brain is schizophrenia thought to be related to? (is it over or under active?)
Mesolimbic dopamine pathway. (it is over active)
Which drugs potentiate the brain pathway involved in schizophrenia and therefore can produce psychotic symptoms?
Amphetamines and antiparkinsonian drugs
Name three attitudes family members can have that may precipitate a psychotic patient to relapse
Over involvement, over critical and hostility. (essentially high expressed emotion)
Is schizophrenia generally chronic or acute?
Chronic
Is schizophrenia generally relapsing and remitting or constant?
Relapsing and remitting
What % of schizophrenics have a single episode without relapse?
20%
What % of schizophrenics have a poor outcome characterised by repeated psychotic episodes with hospitalizations, depression and suicide attempts?
50%`
What % of schizophrenics successfully commit suicide?
10%
Describe the most at risk group of schizophrenics that are likely to commit suicide. (there are 4 factors)
Young, well educated men who have good insight into their disease
Are schizophrenics most likely to commit suicide before, during or after a hospital stay?
After
How many years less do schizophrenics live on average?
10 years
Is the prognosis of schizophrenia better in developed or developing countries?
Developing
Which are more likely to have a better prognosis in schizophrenia: males or females?
Females
Which groups are more likely to have a better prognosis in schizophrenia: divorced, single or married individuals?
Married
Which are more likely to have a better prognosis in schizophrenia: younger or older age of onset?
Older age of onset
Which are more likely to have a worse prognosis in schizophrenia: onset without stress or onset precipitated by life stress?
Onset not precipitated by life stress
Which are more likely to have a better prognosis in schizophrenia: long or short duration of illness?
Short duration of illness
Which subtype of schizophrenia has a better prognosis?
Paranoid subtype
Which are more likely to have a worse prognosis in schizophrenia: those with negative symptoms or those where negative symptoms are abscent?
Those with negative symptoms
∴ negative symptoms = poor prognosis
Which are more likely to have a better prognosis in schizophrenia: those without prominent mood symptoms or those with prominent mood symptoms
Those with prominent mood symptoms
∴ mood symptoms = better prognosis
Does a family history of mood disorder translate to a poor prognosis in schizophrenia?
No a family history of mood disorder is a good predictor of disease outcome
Is good premorbid functioning related to a good prognosis in schizophrenia?
Yes, yes it is
Name 5 potential presenting symptoms in psychosis.
1) Abnormal perceptions (hallucination, pseudohallucination, illusion)
2) Abnormal beliefs (delusions (1ry and 2ry) and overvalued ideas)
3) Thought disorder (PET FACT)
4) Negative symptoms (- generally only once patient develops full on schizophrenia)
5) Psychomotor functioning (- generally only once patient develops full on schizophrenia)
Delusions, hallucinations, psychomotor abnormalities, mood/affect disturbance, cognitive deficits, disorganised thoughts and disorganised behaviour
Name the 3 types of abnormal perception.
Hallucination, pseudohallucination, illusion
Do hallucinations or illusions occur in the presence of physical symptoms?
Illusions
Do patients have a lot or only a little insight into hallucinations? (Explain why)
Patients have little insight as the hallucinations appear as if real to the patient
Which of the senses do hallucinations occur in?
Haha trick –> all of them
Are illusions possible in healthy adults?
Err Yees
Define an illusion.
A distortion of a real external stimulus.
Define a pseudohallucination.
A hallucination that arises from the patients ‘inner eye’ (or ‘minds eye’ or ‘minds ear) and not through a sensory organ. (also described as arising from the subjective inner space of the mind)
Examples include:
1) distressing flashbacks in post-traumatic stress disorder
or
2) someone hearing a voice inside their own head telling them to harm themselves.
What is the most common sense to have a hallucination in?
Auditory
What type of auditory hallucination is indicative of an acute organic state?
Simple unstructured sounds or single words
What type of pathology are second person auditory hallucinations often associated with?
Mood disorders with psychotic features (thus are often persecutory)
Name the two common causes of visual hallucinations.
Organic disorders, psychoactive substance abuse.
Which is more common visual or auditory hallucinations?
Auditory
Define a somatic hallucination and name its subtypes.
Hallucinations of bodily sensation. The subtypes are superficial, visceral and kinaesthetic hallucinations.
Describe the difference between a hypnogogic and a hypnopompic hallucination
A hypnogogic hallucination occur as a person is falling asleep. A hypnopompic hallucination occurs as a person is waking up.
What is an extracampine hallucination?
One that occur outside the patients body. (Latin extra=outside campaneus=field)
What is a delusion?
An unshakeable false belief that is not accepted by other members of the patients culture
What are the four categories used to classify a delusion?
1ry vs 2ry.
Mood congruent vs incongruent.
Bizarre vs non-bizarre.
Classified according to the content of the delusion.
What is a 1ry delusion? (which conditions do they typically occur in?)
Delusions that do not occur in response to any other psychopathology. (They typically occur in schizophrenia and other primary psychotic disorders)
What is a 2ry delusion? (which conditions do they typically occur in?)
A delusion that is a consequence of a pre-existing psychopathological state. (usually occur with mood disorders)
Explain what a mood congruent delusion is and give and example.
Where the patients emotion matches the emotions they are expressing (aka affect display). Example: depressive person expressing suicidal ideation.
Explain what a mood incongruent delusion is and give and example.
Where the patients emotion does not match the emotions they are expressing (aka affect display). Example: depressive person expressing delusions of grandeur.
Explain what a bizarre delusion is and give and example.
Where the delusion is clearly implausible. Example: the pt’s organs have been removed but there is no scar visible.
Explain what a non-bizarre delusion is and give and example.
Where the delusion, though false, is at least plausible. Example: the pt’s believes they are under constant police surveillance.
Name 7 types different types of delusion (using content to differentiate them)?
1) Persecutory delusion
2) Grandiose delusion
3) Delusions of reference
4) Erotomania (delusion of love)
5) Nihilistic delusion
6) Somatic delusion
7) Delusion of control
PRES GM(N)C