Schizophrenia

Question 1

What is a positive symptom

Answer 1

An additional experience beyond those of ordinary existence

Question 2

What’s a negative symptom

Answer 2

A loss of usual abilities and experiences

Question 3

What are some examples of positive symptoms

Answer 3

Hallucinations- unusual sensory experiences that have no basis in reality , eg auditory or visual hallucinations

Delusions - false beliefs that have no basis in reality , they can make ppl w schizophrenia behave in ways that only make sense to them

Question 4

What are examples of negative symptoms

Answer 4

Avolition - severe loss of motivation to carry out everyday tasks and reaching goals eg lack of persistence in work

Speech poverty - reduction in the amount of quality and speech

Question 5

How does classification of schizophrenia work

Answer 5

2 major systems for classification of schizophrenia: ICD - 11 used in the uk and he must show 2+ negative symptoms for one month or longer. However it also recognises sub types of schizophrenia like paranoid and catatonic schizophrenia

DSM - 5 - used in USA , must show one positive symptom for at least a month. Doesn’t categorise further into subtypes

Question 6

How does reliability and validity correlate to SZ

Answer 6

Reliability refers to whether we can gain consistent results when classifying and diagnosing Sz.
Validity refers to the accuracy, the extent to which we are measuring what we intend to measure.

Question 7

What is the study into reliability ans validity of SZ

Answer 7

Cheniaux asked two psychiatrists to diagnose the same 100 patients using DSM and ICD. One diagnosed 26 according to DSM and 44 according to ICD . The other diagnosed 13 according to DSM and and 24 ICD. Showing poor inter rater reliability and poor reliability in the diagnosis of SZ

Question 8

What’s symptom overlap
Co morbidity

Answer 8

2 or more conditions share similar symptoms
Co morbidity - 2 illnesses occur at the same time

Question 9

What’s a problem , of reliability and validity

Answer 9

:( there’s often symptom overlap where 2 + conditions share similar symptoms, eg both SZ and depression involve neg symptoms like Avolition , weakening the validity and reliability of the classification and diagnosis of sz, dr may then not be diagnosing SZ properly

:( co morbidity where 2 illness occur at same time, in research patients who had SZ also had depression and some other patients who had SZ also had ocd, questioning whether sz is a separate disorder or not and it causes reliability problems bc there may be confusion over which disorder is being diagnosed

Question 10

What are genetic biological explanations for SZ

Answer 10

Genetic states that SZ is hereditary and passed on from one generation to the next through genes which increases a persons vulnerability to developing sz
There are 108 maladaptive candidate genes including PCM1 which increases vulnerability to Sz

Question 11

Neural biological explanations to Sz

Answer 11

-abnormalities within the brain may be associated with the development of Sz
-a correlate of Sz is enlarged ventricles which cause damage to brain areas and this damage is associated with negative symptoms of Sz

Question 12

What’s another correlate to Sz (enlarged ventricles was the first one)

Answer 12

Dopamine hypothesis- the brains neurotransmitters work diff in the brain of a patient w Sz , dopamine is very involved in Sz patient brains
Hyperdopaminergia in sub cortex - high lvls dopamine in Broca’s area associated with auditory hallucinations

Hypodopaminergia in cortex - low lvls dopamine in prefrontal cortex have been associated with negative symptoms like Avolition

Question 13

Biological explanation of Sz Ao3

Answer 13

biological determinism, states theory is controlled by internal factors like high or low lvls of dopamine which can cause auditory hallucinations or Avolition. Neglecting role of free will leaving indivs feel as tho they have no control over their schizophrenic behaviour . Limiting the biological explanation for Sz

A strength is that it has practical applications, the theory states Sz can be caused due to dopamine imbalances which had lead to the treatment of drug therapies to treat these imbalanced lvls and reduce their symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. Increasing the effectiveness of the biological approach to wards Sz

Question 14

What do agonists do and antagonists do

Answer 14

Increase activity of a neurotransmitter at a synapse
Reduce the activity of a neurotransmitter at a synapse

Question 15

Antipsychotic drugs

Answer 15

Are the most common treatment for Sz, some patients can take them temporality whereas some for their whole life

Question 16

What are the 2 types of antipsychotic drugs

Answer 16

Typical - dopamine antagonists eg chlorpromazine. Works by binding to the D2 receptors on the post synaptic neurons in the brain , reducing the action of dopamine , reducing positive symptoms

Question 17

What’s the second type of antipsychotic

Answer 17

Atypical - eg clozapine, clozapine binds to D2 dopamine receptor sites on the post synaptic neuron , reducing positive symptoms. Also acts as agonists upon serotonin receptor sites , reduces neg symptoms of Sz

Question 18

what are psychological explanations for Sz

Answer 18

family disfunction - these explanations state hostility and difficulties in family communications cause stress and tension leading the child to develop Sz

eg a Schizophrenogenic mother is cold and controlling and builds a family climate characterised by tension and secrecy, leading to distrust , which develops into paranoid delusions in Sz

Question 19

what is double blind communication as an explanation for Sz

Answer 19

states Sz is due to faulty communication patterns within families. this is where the parents communicate a verbal msg which isnt matched with their non verbal msg so the child recieves mixed msgs. which csn lead to Sz

Question 20

whats expressed emotion as a psychological explanation for Sz

Answer 20

high lvls of expressed emotion (like verbal cristism towards the patient) can cause stress in the patient which is a primary explanation for relapse in patients with Sz

Question 21

a03 to psychological explanations to Sz

Answer 21

:) has practical applications as the theory states Sz is caused by faulty family communications leading to the treatment of family therapy . where the therapist meets with the patient to try alter their rs and communication patterns which can help prevent relapse of Sz

-there are alternate explanations for Sz such as the biological explanation that should be considered, stating Sz is due to hyperdopaminergia and its well evidenced