schizophrenia

Question 1

prevalence of Sz

Answer 1

-affects 1% of population
-more common in males
-more common in lower socio economic groups

Question 2

diagnosis of Sz

Answer 2

-linked to classification
-classification=identify symptoms that go together and make one disorder
-diagnosis= identify symptoms and use classification to identify the disorder

Question 3

DSM-5 and ICD-10 differ

Answer 3

2 main classification systems
DSM-5=one positive symptom must be present
ICD-10=not used for diagnosis until 2022- two or more negative symptoms are suffiecient for diagnosis

Question 4

what are positive symptoms

Answer 4

-additional experiences beyond those of ordinary existence

Question 5

pos symptoms- hallucinations

Answer 5

-unusual sensory experiences that have no basis in reality
-distorted perceptions of real thing-e.g. hearing voices or seeing people who arent there

Question 6

pos symptoms-delusisons

Answer 6

-beliefs that have no basis in reality, make them behave in ways bizzare to others
-e.g important person or victim of conspiracy

Question 7

negative symptoms

Answer 7

-loss of usual abilities and experiences

Question 8

neg symptoms- speech poverty

Answer 8

-a reduction in amount and quality of speech
-may include speech delay
-DSM emphasises speech disorganisation and incoherence as pos symptom

Question 9

neg symptoms- avolition

Answer 9

-severe loss of motivation to carry out everyday tasks
-results in low activity levels and unwillingness to carry out goal directed behaviour

Question 10

bio explanations-genetic basis- family studies

Answer 10

-strong relationships between degree of genetic similarity and shared risk of Sz

Question 11

Gottesman (1991) large scale study

Answer 11

-someone with aunt with Sz has a 2% chance
-9% for sibling
-48% for identical twin
-family members also share environment but this indicates genetic basis

Question 12

bio explanation-genetic basis-candidate genes

Answer 12

-unsuccessful to find single genetic variation for schizophrenia
-Sz is polygenic (requires several genes)
-also aetiologically heterogeneous (risk affected by different combos)
-Ripke et al (2014) combined data from previous studies, found 108 seperate genes associated with increased risk of Sz

Question 13

bio explanations- genetic basis- mutation

Answer 13

-Sz can have genetic origin in family history because of mutation in parental DNA
-correlation between parental age (risk of sperm mutation) and inc risk of Sz (Brown et al 2002)

Question 14

bio explanations-neural correlates- role of dopamine

Answer 14

-dopamine (DA) widely believed to be involved in Sz because it is featured in functioning of brain systems related to Sz symptoms

Question 15

bio explanations- neural correlates- original DA hypothesis (hyperdopaminergia)

Answer 15

-linked to subcortex
-high dopamine activity in subcortex associated with hallucinations and poverty of speech
-may explain specific sympytoms

Question 16

bio explanations- neural correlates- updated version (hypodopaminergia)

Answer 16

-linked to prefrontal cortex
-added low levels of DA in prefrontal cortex, could explain neg symptoms
-explains origins of abnormal DA- genetic variations and early experiences of stress make some more sensitive to cortical hypo- and hence subcortical hyper
(howes et al)

Question 17

psych explanations- family dysfunction-schizophrenic mother

Answer 17

-rejecting and controlling
-Fromm Reichmann (1948) mothers who cause Sz
-mothers are cold, rejecting and controlling, create climate of tension and secrecy
-leads to distrust and paranoid delusions (sz)

Question 18

psych explanations- family dysfunction- double bind theory

Answer 18

-conflicting family communication
-Bateson et al (1972)
-child regularly told they are wrong but conflicting messages about what is wrong
-cannot express feelings for the situation
-child punished with withdrawl of love
-think world in dangerous, leads to delusions

Question 19

psych explanations- family dysfunction- expressed emotion

Answer 19

-EE is the level of mainly negative emotion expressed including
1.verbal criticism of person with Sz
2.hostility to them
3.over involvement in their life
-high EE triggers person, may trigger onset or relapse

Question 20

psych explanations- cognitive explanations- dysfunctional thought processing

Answer 20

-low levels of info processing suggest cognition is impaired
-E.g. reduced processing in vental striatum associated with neg symptoms

Question 21

psych explanations- cognitive explanations- Metarepresentation

Answer 21

-the cognitive ability to reflect on thoughts + behaviours (Frith 1992)
-leads to hallucinations
-disrupts ability to recognise thoughts as our own (hallucinations)
-thought insertion delusions

Question 22

psych explanations- cognitive explanations- central control dysfunction

Answer 22

-leads to speech poverty
-Frith et al (1992) dysfunction of central control as a way to explain speech poverty
-people with Sz experience derailment of thoughts because each word triggers associations they cannot suppress