Schizophrenia

Question 1

Features of schizophrenia

Answer 1

25% can completely recover from an episode and may never experience it again however may need drugs to live independently
25% may suffer from schizophrenic episodes with no breaks asw symptoms
50% would experience periods of schizophrenic episdes or symptoms
15% of the 50%= would need support for the rest of their lives , hospital/institutionalised
15% of the 50% = would not respond to the treatment at all

affects both men+ women equally however with men it’s usually late teens- eaely twenties - avg age 18
Women mid twentues to late twenties, avg age 25
Affects 1% of the general population
Seen in every conunnity affects 1.74 per 1000
Affects lower socioeconomic groups more ans those who live in urban areas rather than rural areas

Goldstein 1988 found that women aged lower than 45 years old had less severe case of illness

Question 2

Positive symptoms

Answer 2

Positive symptoms are any symptoms that can add to the disorder this can be:
Delusions- false beliefs or a false sense of grandeur ( feeling overly important)
Hallucinations- seeing or hearing thibgs that aren’t real
Thought disorders- disorganised speech/disordered thinking

Disorganised speech - inappropiate speech rhat may not make any sense
Disordered thinking- hard to think in an organised ways

Question 3

Negative symptoms

Answer 3

Symptoms that causes the absence of function
Lack of energy/apathy
Social withdrawal
Lack of self preservation- lack of hygiene/self care
Flatness of enotion- emotionless eyes
Reduced speech

Question 4

what are neurotransmitters

Answer 4

Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that are released from synaptic vesicles and relay signals from one neuron to another via synapse, can either be exhibitary or inhibitary.

Question 5

Excess dopamine explanation

Answer 5

In 1950s two antipsychotics, chlorpromazine and reserpine were found to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of schizophrenia however it caused tremors and muscle tensions- symptomatic of parkinsons disease

Parkinsons disease, is caused by low dopamine levels.
So it is then said that schizophrenia is due to high dopamine levels.

Proliferation of D2 receptors on postsynpatic receptors may be the cause
Low levels of beta hydroxylase, which are responsible for breaking down dopamine

Question 6

Dopamine deficency

Answer 6

High levels of dopamine, causes positive symptoms in the mesolinbic pathways
Low levels of dopamine, causes negative symptoms in the mesocortial pathways.

Question 7

Serotonin + negative symptoms

Answer 7

Research began on other neurotransmitters.
Clozapine which is another antipsychotic drug, binded to the D1+ D4 receptors but weakly to the D2 receptors.
As clozapine binds to the serotonin receptors , both negative + positive symptoms are reduced, this may suggest schizophrenia is due to serotonin levels

Question 8

Dopamine dysregulation

Answer 8

Attention should be focused on pre-synpatic dopamine levels that could be caused by environmental, genetic, socio-cultural factors.
Dopamine hypothesis shuld onlt be seen as a psychosis prone rather than a full explanation

Question 9

Schizophrenia? A developmental disorder

Answer 9

Thomas Insel
Suggests that schizophrenia is due to abnormalities that occur within early development, startin in the first few weeks of development
That those who are demonstrate symptoms later in life is usually tied with not reaching cognitive milestones durint the first yeat of development

Schizophrenia also has sinilar Genetics to other neurodevelopmental conditons such as autism

Question 10

Strength

Answer 10

Catherine Tern- conducted a study on rats , where she gave 9 injections of amphetamines where all the rats showed schizophrenic symptoms over the period of three weeks.
Then when given dopamine antagonists that block the D1 receptrs, these were successful upon reversing these effects
Suggestung a cause of schizophrenia is due to high levels of dopamine

Question 11

Second immigrants

Answer 11

A weakness of neurotransmitter explanation of schizophrenia is that it doesnt explain why some groups are more prone to it than others.

wim veiling 2008- found that in netherlands morrocon immigrants are more likely to become affected and gain schizophrenic traits compared to turcish immigrants, this is due to the perceived discrimination and racism felt by each group, which indicates environmental stress can become a factor

Question 12

Issues + debates

Answer 12

Reductionist explanation
Expjabation that focuses on dopamine doesn’t take into account of the full nature of schizophrenia, lived in experience is also not represented