Schizophrenia Flashcards
Delusions
Unusual thoughts, suspiciousness, strange
thoughts that are out of touch with reality
Bizarre Delusions
Clearly implausible, not understandable, and do not derive from ordinary life experiences
What are the criteria of schizophrenia?
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganized Thinking
- Disorganized Behavior
- Negative Symptoms
Disorganized Thinking
- Tangential thought process
- Looseness of association or
- Derailment Incoherence or Word salad
Disorganized Behavior
- Childlike silliness; unpredictable agitation
- Problems with goal directed behavior
- Inappropriate sexual behavior
Negative Symptoms
Loss of certain experiences – Affective flattening – Alogia – Avolution – Anhedonia
How many criteria are needed for a diagnosis of schizophrenia?
2 criteria are needed but 1 MUST be a delusion, hallucination or disorganized thinking.
What are the B criteria for schizophrenia?
Social/Occupational Dysfunction
Schizoaffective Disorder
MDD or bipolar with schizophrenia criteria met with a past psychosis episode with no mood symptoms for 2 weeks.
Delusional Disorder
Delusions, bizarre or non-bizarre for 1 month with never having met the schizophrenia criteria
How can depression seem like schizophrenia?
It can have a lot of the negative symptoms like anhedonia and avolition.
What is a major class of drugs that can lead to psychosis?
Steroids
Paranoid
Pattern of distrust and suspiciousness of others
Schizoid
Social detachment and restricted affect
Schizotypal
Odd beliefs, experience or behavior
What is the gender prevalence of schizophrenia?
Males and females are equally affected
What is the peak age of onset of schizophrenia?
Often in mid to late teens. Women have a second peak in the mid 40s.
What is the gender severity of schizophrenia?
More severe in males thought to be due to earlier onset in males and protective effect of estrogen.
What is a major risk with schizophrenia?
Suicide risk is increased
Wisconsin Card Sort
Schizophrenic patients will make many errors when asked to sort cards according to certain rules.
What is the biggest reason for the decrease in life expectancy of schizophrenia patients?
CV disease risk - smoking, diabetes, HTN and hyperlipidemia
What is the viral hypothesis of schizophrenia?
There is a higher winter birth rate of schizophrenic patients and association with viral illness that is latent could be likely
Is genetics related to schizophrenia?
There is predisposition but it only accounts for 50% of the causes
