Schizophrenia

Question 1

What is the definition for Schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness where reality is distorted, causing disorganized thinking and unusual behavior.
Prevalence: Affects 1% of the population worldwide

Question 2

What are the positive symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Answer 2

• Symptoms that add to a person’s behaviour, like hallucinations and delusions.
• Hallucinations: Perceiving things that aren’t there (e.g., hearing voices).
• Delusions: Fixed false beliefs, often paranoid.

Question 3

What are negative symptoms of Schnizophrenia?

Answer 3

Symptoms that reduce normal function, such as speech poverty and avolition.
Avolition: Lack of motivation or goal-directed behavior.

Question 4

What is speech poverty?

Answer 4

Reduced frequency and quality of speech, possibly showing a lack of coherent thought processes.

Question 5

What is used for diagnosing Schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Two main systems used: ICD-11 and DSM-5.
DSM-5 requires at least one positive symptom.
ICD-11 includes positive or negative symptoms.

Question 6

What are hallucinations?

Answer 6

These can involve any of the senses (auditory, visual, tactile).
Most common: hearing voices.

Question 7

What are delusions?

Answer 7

Beliefs that have no basis in reality. They make a person with Schizophrenia behave in ways that make sense to them but would be bizarre to others

Question 8

What is avolition as a symptom?

Answer 8

Difficulties initiating/maintaining activities like self-care or work

Question 9

What is speech disorganisation?

Answer 9

Frequent topic derailment or incoherence, making communication difficult.

Question 10

What is the chronic nature of Schizophrenia?

Answer 10

Can lead to long-term challenges in daily functioning and relationships.

Question 11

What is the ICD criteria vs the DSM criteria

Answer 11

ICD accepts negative symptoms more readily, while DSM focuses on positive

Question 12

What is disorganised thinking?

Answer 12

Characterized by illogical connections between thoughts.

Question 13

What impact has Schizophrenia got on social functioning?

Answer 13

People with schizophrenia often struggle with maintaining relationships or jobs.

Question 14

What are the subtypes of schizophrenia?

Answer 14

Includes paranoid, catatonic, and hebephrenic types

Question 15

When is the onset for Schizophrenia?

Answer 15

Typically occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Question 16

What is paranoid Schzophrenia?

Answer 16

Characterized by prominent delusions and hallucinations, often with themes of persecution or grandeur.
Individuals may seem high-functioning but struggle with intense paranoia.

Question 17

What is catatonic schizophrenia?

Answer 17

Marked by significant motor disturbances, such as immobility, excessive movement, or repetitive behaviors.
May include echolalia (repeating words) or echopraxia (mimicking movements).

Question 18

What is undifferentiated Schizophrenia?

Answer 18

A diagnosis given when symptoms don’t fit neatly into other subtypes.
Includes a mix of positive and negative symptoms without dominance of one pattern.

Question 19

How is good reliability in diagnosis a strength of the diagnosis of Schizophrenia?

Answer 19

Point: One strength of schizophrenia diagnosis is its good reliability.
Evidence: Research shows that clinicians using the DSM-5 have high inter-rater reliability when diagnosing schizophrenia.
Explanation: This means that different clinicians are likely to agree on a diagnosis, increasing the consistency of diagnostic practice.
Link: High reliability enhances the credibility and utility of the diagnostic systems used for schizophrenia.

Question 20

What is a counter of good reliability in the diagnosis of Schizophrenia?

Answer 20

Point - Despite progress, reliability in diagnosis is not perfect.
Evidence - Osorio et al. (2019) found excellent inter-rater reliability of 0.97 using the DSM-5, suggesting significant improvement.
Explanation - However, this study was conducted under controlled conditions, and reliability may not always be as high in real-world clinical settings.
Link: While reliability appears strong, practical and cultural variations can still influence consistency in diagnoses.

Question 21

How is gender bias a limitation of the diagnosis of Schizophrenia?

Answer 21

Point: A limitation of schizophrenia diagnosis is gender bias.
Evidence: Men are more frequently diagnosed with schizophrenia than women, even when presenting similar symptoms.
Explanation: This could be because women’s symptoms are less severe or better masked by social factors, leading to under-diagnosis in women.
Link: Gender bias in diagnosis undermines the validity of schizophrenia research and treatment strategies.

Question 22

How is culture bias a limitation of the diagnosis of Schizophrenia?

Answer 22

Point: Schizophrenia diagnosis is affected by culture bias.
Evidence: African-Caribbean individuals in the UK are far more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white individuals, despite no genetic difference.
Explanation: This suggests that cultural norms, clinician bias, or misunderstanding of cultural behaviors may lead to over-diagnosis.
Link: Culture bias reduces the validity of diagnosis, as it reflects differences in perception rather than true disorder prevalence.

Question 23

What are the evaluation points for the diagnosis of psychology?

Answer 23

+) good reliability
C.P -> low external validity
-) culture bias
-) gender bias

Question 24

What is the role of the dopamine hypothesis in explaining schizophrenia?

Answer 24

The dopamine hypothesis suggests that excess dopamine activity in certain brain areas is linked to schizophrenia symptoms.

Question 25

How does increased dopamine activity in the subcortex relate to schizophrenia symptoms?

Answer 25

Increased dopamine activity in the subcortex is associated with positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.

Question 26

Which symptoms of schizophrenia are associated with hyperdopaminergia in the subcortex?

Answer 26

Symptoms include auditory hallucinations and paranoia.

Question 27

What is the significance of low dopamine activity in the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 27

Low dopamine activity in the prefrontal cortex is linked to negative symptoms, such as impaired decision-making and avolition.

Question 28

How do amphetamines provide evidence for dopamine’s role in schizophrenia?

Answer 28

Amphetamines, which increase dopamine, can induce psychotic symptoms in non-schizophrenic individuals

Question 29

What effect does L-dopa have on schizophrenia symptoms, according to the dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 29

L-dopa, used for Parkinson’s disease, can worsen psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia by increasing dopamine.

Question 30

How does research into glutamate challenge the dopamine hypothesis

Answer 30

Glutamate research suggests that NMDA receptor dysfunction, not just dopamine imbalance, contributes to schizophrenia.

Question 31

What has been proposed about the role of NMDA receptors in schizophrenia?

Answer 31

NMDA receptor dysfunction may explain cognitive impairments and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 32

What are some of the symptoms of schizophrenia linked to glutamate deficits?

Answer 32

Symptoms include disorganized thinking, negative symptoms, and cognitive impairments.

Question 33

How might NMDA receptor dysfunction explain the cognitive impairments seen in schizophrenia?

Answer 33

NMDA receptor dysfunction disrupts signaling in the brain, leading to issues with memory and decision-making.

Question 34

Why is the term “central role of glutamate” used in recent research on schizophrenia?

Answer 34

It reflects growing evidence that glutamate impacts both positive and negative symptoms.

Question 35

What type of drugs have provided support for the role of glutamate in schizophrenia?

Answer 35

Drugs targeting NMDA receptors mimic schizophrenia symptoms, providing evidence for glutamate’s role.

Question 36

How is having a strong evidence base a strength of biological explanations for Schizophrenia?

Answer 36

Point: Evidence for dopamine’s role in schizophrenia is indirect.
Evidence: Dopamine levels are inferred from post-mortem studies or cerebrospinal fluid metabolites.
Explanation: These methods can be inconsistent or influenced by external factors, reducing reliability.
Link: The dopamine hypothesis lacks direct, conclusive evidence, which weakens its explanatory power.

Question 37

How is evidence for environmental risk factors a limitation of the biological explanations of Schizophrenia

Answer 37

Point: Environmental risks play a key role in schizophrenia.
Evidence: Prenatal factors like maternal infections and low birth weight increase schizophrenia risk.
Explanation: These factors likely interact with genetic predispositions, contributing to the disorder.
Link: Schizophrenia is best explained by the diathesis-stress model, combining genetic and environmental factors.

Question 38

How is support for dopamine in the symptoms of Schizophrenia a strength?

Answer 38

Point: Dopamine is strongly linked to schizophrenia symptoms.
Evidence: Amphetamines, which increase dopamine, worsen symptoms; antipsychotics, which block dopamine, reduce symptoms.
Explanation: This shows a clear connection between dopamine levels and schizophrenia symptoms, particularly psychosis.
Link: The dopamine hypothesis is supported by pharmacological evidence

Question 39

How is evidence for a central role for glutamate a limitation of the biological explanations of schizophrenia?

Answer 39

Point: Glutamate plays a crucial role in schizophrenia.
Evidence: NMDA receptor dysfunction is linked to cognitive impairments and schizophrenia symptoms.
Explanation: Drugs targeting glutamate receptors can replicate symptoms, showing its importance in the disorder.
Link: Glutamate research opens pathways for new treatments beyond the dopamine hypothesis.