Schizophrenia Flashcards
Validity in Schizophrenia
How accurately diagnosed is it?
Reliability in schizophrenia
How consistently diagnosed is schizophrenia. EG - across time, cultures , psychiatrists
Diagnosing
Completed by a trained professional. To identify an illness through the presentation of symptoms
Classification
How schizophrenia is clarified in diagnostic manuals and outlines which symptoms are expected eg - DSM
COMORBIDITY
The concept that two or more conditions occur together in the same person at the same time
Buckley 2009
Found cormobidity rates of schizophrenia and depression were 50%,
Symptom overlap
When symptoms of two disorders are found in both disorders making it difficult to diagnose lowering validity of diagnosis
Schizophrenic specific symptom
THERE IS NO SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECIFIC SYMPTOM MAKING IT HARD TO TELL APART FROM OTHER DISORDERS
Positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, paranoia
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Apathy, extreme emotional withdrawal, lack of affect, low energy, social isolation
Cultural biases in schizophrenia
The notion that clinicians diagnose patients based on the clinicians culture not the patients culture
COCHRANE 1977
Incidence of schizophrenia in the west indies and britain to be similar at around 1%.
However afro Caribbean men are several times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia when living in Britain
Cultural bias in classification
Schizophrenia may have different symptoms across cultures. Each cultures symptom pool may be different
Gender biases in diagnoses of SZ
Females suffering from schizophrenia may be misdiagnosed due to presumption that males suffer more
LONGNECKER et al 2010
Reviewed studies of incidences of schizophrenia and concluded that since the 1980s males have been diagnosed with schizophrenia more often than women. Prior to the 1980s this was not the case
Gender bias affecting reliability
Lowers reliability of diagnosing across sexes as there is no consistency between sexes
Gender bias affecting validity
A doctor could assume hallucinations are a result of schizophrenia in a male patient
but may be reluctant to diagnose it if the patient were female
IDIOGRAPHIC approach
Would be better way to diagnose individuals rather than trying to classify everyone under certain criteria
Genetic explanation
Strong correlation between family member having sz and hances of a close relative going on to also develop the disorder
Gottesman (1966)
Found a 48% concordance rate among twins.
Also found that DZ twins had a 17% chance of developing schiz if their twin did
Twin studies evaluation
NO research has ever found a 100% concordance rate, suggesting other influences than genetics
Benzel et al (2007)
Three genes; COMT, DRD4, AKT1 have all been associated with excess dopamine in specific D2 receptors
Evaluations of genetic theory
Biologically reductionist
Biogically determinsitic
Original dopamine hypothesis
The brain of a schizophrenic produces more dopamine than a normal person leading to positive symptoms
Evidence for dopamine hypothesis
The fact that amphetamines increase the amounts of dopamine.
- Large doses of amps given to people with no history of psychological disorders produce behaviour which is very similar to paranoid schizophrenia.
- Small doses given to ppl already suffering with schiz also worsen their symptoms
New dopamine hypothesis
There are more dopamine receptors leading to more firing and an over production of messages. Specifically the D2 receptors
Dopamine antagonists
Block D2 receptor sites on the post synaptic neurone meaning fewer d2 receptors can be activated. Increasing the dopamine re uptake so it doesnt hang around in the synapse for very long
3rd proposal of dopamine hypothesis
Overactive dopamine pathway in the mesolimbic area is responsible for positive symptoms
Underactive dopamine pathway in the mesocortical area of brain is responsible for negative symptoms