Schizophrenia Flashcards
Define Schizophrenia
Severe mental disorder characterised by the disruption of cognitive and emotional functioning. Effects language, thoughts, perceptions, emotions and sense of self. Person hears voices and sees visions.
What are some causes of schizophrenia?
- Genetic
- Psychotropic drugs
- Lack of O2 at birth
- Too high dopamine levels
- Stressful onset
Describe type 1 (Acute) schizophrenia
Obvious positive symptoms appear suddenly.
Describe type 2 (Chronic) schizophrenia
Takes many years to develop - increased disturbance and withdrawal, negative symptoms
How many types of schizophrenia are there?
7
Describe the criteria for schizophrenia in the DSM-V
A - At least two symptoms must be present (or one if delusions/hallucinations): Delusions, Hallucinations, Disorganised Speech, Disorganised/Catatonic behaviour, negative symptoms
B - At least one area of functioning disrupted e.g. work
C - Continuous disturbance for 6 months, symptoms from A for 1 month
Define positive symptoms
Symptoms added to the patient’s personality
State examples of positive symptoms
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Disorganised speech
- Grossly disorganised
- Catatonic behaviour
Define negative symptoms
Reduction/Loss of normal functioning.
State examples of negative symptoms
- Avolition/Apathy
- Speech poverty/Alogia
- Affective flattening
- Anhedonia
Describe auditory hallucinations (positive)
Patient hears voices - their own or unrecognisable. Usually negative comments
Describe visual hallucinations (positive)
Patient may see things that don’t exist - may be disturbing
Describe olfactory hallucinations (positive)
Patient may smell odours that don’t exist
Describe tactile hallucinations (positive)
Patient may feel things that don’t exist
Describe delusions of grandeur (positive)
Patient may believe they’re important/powerful (e.g. God). May think they have superpowers - can cause harm
Describe delusions of persecution (positive)
Patient believes everyone’s conspiring against them - negative attitude
Describe delusions of reference (positive)
Patient believes objects, events and songs have a personal significance that refers directly to them - may become emotionally attached
State the subdivisions of disorganised speech. (positive)
- Derailment
- Neologisms
- Word salads
Describe derailment (positive)
Patient has issues organising thoughts - changes from topic to topic
Describe neologisms (positive)
Patient makes up words that don’t exist
Describe word salads (positive)
Patient strings random words together to make a sentence - disorganised speech pattern
Describe catatonia (positive)
Patient has reduced reaction to environmental stimuli - might adopt rigid postures or conduct aimless motor activity e.g. rocking movements
Describe grossly disorganised behaviour (positive)
Patient has inability/lack of motivation to initiate or complete a task. Might dress/act in bizarre ways
Describe deficit syndrome (negative)
Patient has experienced 2 negative symptoms for 12months +
Describe speech poverty/alogia (negative)
Speech lessened in terms of fluency and productivity - thinking is slow. Reply briefly to questions, can’t produce long list of words
Describe avolition (negative)
Patient has reduced interest to initiate/persist in goal directed behaviour around them. Occurs when patients also have bad hygiene and lack of work/school persistence
Describe affective flattening (negative)
Patient has restricted ability to respond to emotional stimuli - reduced range and intensity of expressions. May behave inappropriately in social situations
Describe anhedonia (negative)
General lack of interest in most activities and pleasurable stimuli
Physical: inability to experience physical pleasure
Social: inability to experience pleasure from social interactions - withdraws from these situations
What did Ripke theorise about the genetic cause of schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia might be polygenic - multiple candidate genes
Describe Ripke et al’s 2014 study
Meta-analysis of candidate genes. 37,000 schizophrenics and 11,000 controls were investigated. He found 108 separate genetic variations associated with increased risk of schizophrenia, which coded for the function of dopamine.
State three disadvantages of Ripke’s study.
- Other approaches need to be considered e.g. behavioural, cognitive
- Genetics isn’t a full explanation - diathesis stress model would say an environmental factor would trigger the illness as well as the gene
- Schizophrenia can occur in the absence on genetics/family history. Could be a mutation. Positive correlation between father’s age and child with schizophrenia - 0.7% when <25, 2% when >50
State two advantages of Ripke’s study.
- Lots of research support
- Supported by the dopamine hypothesis - Ripke’s work intertwines biological mechanisms (genetics and high dopamine). Valuable support for biological approach
Describe Gottesman and Shields’ study
Investigated 224 sets of twins (106 MZ, 118 DZ) from 1948-1993. Average pps age was 46, ranging in ethnicities. Longitudinal study over 25 years in London. In depth interviews, doctors case notes and the DSM were used to diagnose schizophrenia. One twin already had schizophrenia. Results found 48% MZ were both concordant by the end, and 17% DZ were concordant by the end
State three advantages of the Gottesman and Shield’s study
- Longitudinal
- Supports the biological approach (genetics) - 48% concordance
- Reliable (inter-rater reliability) and valid - three different methods of diagnosis used - more credibility
State two disadvantages of the Gottesman and Shield’s study
- Ignores the behavioural approach - twins may imitate each other and obtain schizophrenic symptoms this way
- Relied on interviews - schizophrenics often have issues communicating correctly, could’ve caused misdiagnosis. Can be improved through using multiple interviewers
Describe Kety et al’s 1994 study (The Copenhagen High Risk Study)
Initial study in Denmark started in 1972, follow up study occurred in 1974 and 1989.
207 adopted children (bio mothers had schizophrenia) matched pairs with control group of 104 (healthy bio mothers) - all aged 10-18.
Results found 16.2% of first group were diagnosed with schizophrenia, and 1.9% from control group. Schizotypal personality disorder was diagnosed in 18.8% of first group and 5% in control group
State three advantages of Kety’s study
- Supporting study was carried out by Erienmeyer-Kimling in 1997 - ‘New York High Risk Study’. Lasted 25yrs, found similar results
- Study was a prospective longitudinal study - looks at children before they show symptoms, doesn’t rely on retrospective data. Kety followed the children accurately - life-long records were held about citizens in Denmark and they identified when the illness began
- All children were matched carefully on relevant variables. Very fair and controlled study - eliminates extraneous variables
State two disadvantages of Kety’s study
- Cannot separate genes from environment - could’ve influenced them obtaining schizophrenia
- Mothers had been diagnosed with schizophrenia before the DSM and ICD were around - could’ve been misdiagnosed (schizotypal personality disorder instead)