Schizophrenia

Question 1

Describe two positive symptoms of schizophrenia

Answer 1

-Delusions, which are bizarre beliefs that seem real to the schizophrenic .
-Hallucinations which are unreal perceptions of the environment that are auditory , visual , olfactory or tactile.
-Disorganised speech which can be ‘word salad’ where speech is incomprehensible or derailment in which an individual slips between topics.
Disorganised/ Catatonic behaviour which is an inability or lack of motivation to initiate or complete tasks.

Question 2

Describe two negative symptoms of Schizophrenia.

Answer 2

• Speech Poverty is the lessening of speech fluency and productivity .
  -Avolition Is the reduction of interests and desires, as well as an inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed behaviour .
• Affective Flattening is a reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expression - including facial expressions.
  -Anhedonia is an inability to experience pleasure.

Question 3

Define Schizophrenia

Answer 3

A severe mental illness where contact with reality and insight are impaired .
There is a disruption of cognition and emotion. This in turn affects behaviour.

Question 4

Define Classification

Answer 4

The action or process of classifying something .
A category into which something is put .
( the process of organising symptoms into categories based on which symptoms cluster together in sufferers)

Question 5

Define Diagnosis

Answer 5

The identification of the nature of illness or other problems by examinations of the symptoms.

Question 6

What is the difference between positive and negative symptoms?

Answer 6

Postive symptoms are those which ADD to normal behaviour .
Negative symptoms are those which REMOVE aspects of normal behaviour.

Question 7

What are facts about Positive symptoms?

Answer 7

• Respond better to drug treatment than negative symptoms.
• Are more common in females
• Are more obvious to friends and family.

Question 8

What are facts about Negative symptoms?

Answer 8

• Do not respond well to drug treatment .
• Are more common males
  -Are not as obvious to friends and family , as positive symptoms.
• Usually occur before positive symptoms.

Question 9

Define Hallucinations

Answer 9

Sensory experiences of stimuli that have no basis in reality or are distorted perceptions of things that are there.
There is two types :
Visual hallucinations
Auditory hallucinations.

Question 10

Define Delusion

Answer 10

Involves irrational beliefs that have no basis in reality .
There are two types:
- delusions of grandeur
- delusions of persecution

Question 11

Define Avolition

Answer 11

Involves a loss of motivation to carry out tasks and results in lowered activity levels.

Question 12

What are the signs of avolition

Answer 12

-Poor hygiene and grooming
-Lack of persistence in work or eduction
-Lack of energy

Question 13

Define speech poverty

Answer 13

involves reduced frequency and quality of speech.
the sufferer may be delayed in responding verbally during conversations.

Question 14

What are the classification of schizophrenia

Answer 14

ICD 10 - international classification of disease edition 10
DSM 5 - Diagnostic and statistical manual edition 5

Question 15

Explain ICD 10

Answer 15

no positive symptoms are required for a diagnosis of schizophrenia
- two or more negative symptoms are sufficient:
speech poverty
avoilition.
Recognises subtypes of schizophrenia

Question 16

what are subtypes of schizophrenia

Answer 16

• Paranoid
• Hebephrenic ( foolish or bizarre behaviour, hallucination )
  -Catatonic (affects way you move in extreme ways)

Question 17

Explain DSM 5

Answer 17

one positive symptom must be present for diagnosis :
- Hallucination
- Delusions
-Speech disorganisation

Question 18

What are the classification of schizophrenia?

Answer 18

DSM-5
ICD-10

Question 19

What is the difference between ICD and DSM classifications?

Answer 19

DSM-5 : one positive symptom must be present.
ICD - 10 : two negative symptoms must be present

Question 20

What are the main subtypes of schizophrenia, and how are they classified?

Answer 20

Paranoid
Hebephrenic
Catatonic

Question 21

What is co-morbidity

Answer 21

when two or more conditions are present in the same person at the same time.

Question 22

Discuss gender bias in diagnosing schizophrenia ?

Answer 22

Longenecker et al (2010)
Doctors may be misapplying the classification system based on gender. This means that diagnoses that people are getting are not consistent ( reliability), not accurate (Validity).

Question 23

Discuss cultural bias in diagnosing schizophrenia ?

Answer 23

in Britain afro Caribbeans are more likely than white people to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. this is because hearing voices is more acceptable in African cultures because of cultural beliefs in communication with ancestors and that people are more. ready to acknowledge such experiences. If reported to a clinician with a different cultural background this can be seen as bizarre and irrational.

Question 24

what are concordance rates ?

Answer 24

Are the likelihood that if one family member has schizophrenia that the other one will.

Question 25

What is a candidate genes?

Answer 25

Particular genes that are believed to be involved in the development of a disorder.

Question 26

What does polygenic mean?

Answer 26

More than one gene is responsible for schizophrenia .

Question 27

What does aetiologically heterogeneous mean ?

Answer 27

Different combinations of genes can lead to schizophrenia.

Question 28

what was the original dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 28

Stated that patients with schizophrenia have an over sensitivity to the actions of dopamine.