Schizophrenia

Question 1

what is a neurosis?

Answer 1

an odd characteristic

Question 2

what is psychosis?

Answer 2

a mental state or symptom

Question 3

what is the number 1 goal in SZP treatment?

Answer 3

ensure safety

Question 4

What are secondary goals of SZP treatment?

Answer 4

• reduce agitation, hostility, anxiety, tension, aggression
• normalize sleeping + eating pattern
• convey empathy and caring

Question 5

are eliminating hallucinations and delusions realistic or possible?

Answer 5

eliminating them may not be

Question 6

what is schizophrenia ?

Answer 6

• A chronic, heterogenous, spectrum disorder, often severe & or disabling
• there is an imbalance in structure, neural transmission and neurotransmitters leading to disordered thought and behaviour

Question 7

describe a person with SZP

Answer 7

They are fearful, withdrawn, isolated, and have gross impairment of capacity for relationships

Question 8

T or F: schizophrenia is more predominant in males

Answer 8

False; there is no gender preference. However, males present at a younger age than females

Question 9

is there a genetic component to SZP?

Answer 9

yes, 45% if both parents +ve and 5-10% if one parent

Question 10

describe brain asymmetry in SZP

Answer 10

The natural pruning process may have been disturbed. This results in lots of nerve cells that don’t communicate with each other as effectively as they should

Question 11

what is the difference between psychosis and SZP?

Answer 11

psychosis is a symptom and a descriptor of a person’s current status whereas SZP describes a chronic illness which has the potential for enormous impacts on quality of life

Question 12

what is a positive symptom?

Answer 12

symptoms that are present but shouldn’t be

Question 13

what is a negative symptom?

Answer 13

things that can be though of as missing or absent

Question 14

what are the positive symptoms of SZP?

Answer 14

• hallucinations
• delusions
• paranoia
• agitation
• hostility
• thought disorder
• bizarre actions

Question 15

what are the negative symptoms of SZP?

Answer 15

• anhedonia
• poverty of speech
• lack of expressiveness
• apathy
• social isolation
• concreteness

Question 16

what are the cognitive symptoms of SZP?

Answer 16

• impairment of memory
• attention
• ability to plan and follow through on a plan
• impairment of the capacity to learn from mistakes

Question 17

what is a first generation antipsychotic ?

Answer 17

block dopamine D2 receptors

Question 18

what is a 2nd generation antipsychotic?

Answer 18

modulate both D2 receptors and 5HT2 receptors (affinity for serotonin 5HT receptor is the key to reducing the movement disorders that are a risk with antipsychotic medications)

Question 19

True or false: the longer a patient is on antipsychotics the worse they get

Answer 19

false! the longer someone stays on medications, the less likely they will relapse. They will experience continued improvement in the level of function over time.