Schizophrenia Flashcards
Positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, behavioral disorganization
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Alogia, anhedonia, affective blunting, avolition
Cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia
Attention, memory, verbal fluency
Do patients have cognitive abnormalities prior to presentation of schizophrenia/
Yes, patients perform 1-2 standard deviations below normal on tests of executive function, working memory, social cognition, etc…
Schizoaffective disorder
Co-occurrence of major mood disorder with schizophremia
Schizophreniform Disorder
Like schizophrenia but with shorter duration.
Age of onset?
18-25, slight prevalence in males
Course of schizophrenia
Prodromal period, onset, progression (with relapses), then stable relapsing
Environmental risks that may contribute to development of schizophrenia
Rubella infection, RH incompatibility, winter birth, urban environment, head injury, heavy drug use
Dopamine theory of schizophrenia
Excess of dopamine, D2 blockers treat psychosis well.
Glutamate theory of schizophrenia
NMDA antagonism produces psychosis and cognitive abnormalities.
How does PCP induce psychosis
PCP blocks NMDA receptor on GABAergic interneurons, this reduces inhibition, leading to ultimate excessive release of glutamate.
Structural abnormalities in scz?
Ventricular enlargement, sulcal exaggeration. Loss of grey matter
How is GABA formed?
From glutamate using glutamic acid decarboxylase
Glutamic acid decarboxylase activity in SCZ
Decreased – so decreased gaba and decreased inhibition.
