Schizophrenia

Question 1

Biological explanation for schizophrenia
Family studies- schizophrenia is more common among biological relatives of a person with schizophrenia, and that the closer the degree of genetic relatedness, the greater the risk,
Twin studies - mz twins are more __________ than dizygotic suggesting that the greater similarity is due to genetic factors.

Schizophrenics are thought to have abnormally high numbers of ___ receptors on receiving neurones, resulting in more dopamine binding and therefore more neurones firing.
_______ is a dopamine agonist as it stimulates cells containing dopamine, causing the synapse to be flooded with this neurotransmitters.
___________ drug, all block the activity of dopamine as the neurotransmitter, these drugs eliminate symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.

Answer 1

Biological explanation for schizophrenia
Family studies- schizophrenia is more common among biological relatives of a person with schizophrenia, and that the closer the degree of genetic relatedness, the greater the risk,
Twin studies - mz twins are more concordance than dizygotic suggesting that the greater similarity is due to genetic factors.

Schizophrenics are thought to have abnormally high numbers of D2 receptors on receiving neurones, resulting in more dopamine binding and therefore more neurones firing.
Amphetamine is a dopamine agonist as it stimulates cells containing dopamine, causing the synapse to be flooded with this neurotransmitters.
Antipsychotic drug, all block the activity of dopamine as the neurotransmitter, these drugs eliminate symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.

Question 2

Specific brain areas
The prefrontal cortex is the main of the brain involved in ________ control and research has shown that this is impaired in schizophrenia patients.

The hippocampus
The hippocampus is an area of the brain in the ___________ lobe. Deficits in the nerve connections between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex have been found to correlate with the degree of working memory impairment, a central __________ impairment in schizophrenia

Individuals with schizophrenia have a reduced __________ of grey matter in their brain, especially in the temporal and frontal lobes.

Answer 2

Specific brain areas
The prefrontal cortex is the main of the brain involved in executive control and research has shown that this is impaired in schizophrenia patients.

The hippocampus
The hippocampus is an area of the brain in the temporal lobe. Deficits in the nerve connections between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex have been found to correlate with the degree of working memory impairment, a central cognitive impairment in schizophrenia

Individuals with schizophrenia have a reduced volume of grey matter in their brain, especially in the temporal and frontal lobes.

Question 3

Much of the evidence supporting the dopamine hypothesis comes from the success of drug treatments that attempts to change levels of dopamine activity in the brain. Leucht carried out a meta - ______ of 212 studies. They concluded that all the ___________ drugs tested in these studies were significantly more effective than placebo in the treatment of positive and _________, symptoms achieved by reducing the effects of dopamine.

Answer 3

Much of the evidence supporting the dopamine hypothesis comes from the success of drug treatments that attempts to change levels of dopamine activity in the brain. Leucht carried out a meta - analysis of 212 studies. They concluded that all the antipsychotic drugs tested in these studies were significantly more effective than placebo in the treatment of positive and negative, symptoms achieved by reducing the effects of dopamine