Schizophrenia

Question 1

what are the core psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 1

delusions
hallucinations
thought interference
passivity

Question 2

according to ICD-10 criteria, you must have at least one of what symptoms?

Answer 2

thought echo, insertion, withdrawal or broadcasting

delusions of control, influence or passivity or delusional perception

hallucinatory voices giving running commentary or discussing him

persistent delusions of other kinds that are impossible

Question 3

OR according to ICD-10 criteria, you must have at least two of what symptoms?

Answer 3

persistent hallucinations when occurring every day for at least one month when accompanied by delusions

neologisms, breaks or interpolations in train of thought resulting in irrelevant speech

catatonic behaviour such as excitement, posturing or wavy flexibility, negativism, mutism or stupor

negative symptoms - marked apathy, paucity of speech and blunting or incongruity of emotional responses (not due to depression)

Question 4

what are the three sub-types of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

paranoid - typical, most common form, 1st rank symptoms predominate

herbephrenic - youth and frivolity

catatonic - movement disorder

Question 5

what are other types of paranoid psychoses?

Answer 5

persistent delusional disorder
schizotypal disorder
acute and transient psychotic disorder
schizoaffective disorder

Question 6

give examples of “positive” symptoms?

Answer 6

hallucinations
delusions
passivity phenomena
disorder of the form of thought

Question 7

give examples of “negative” symptoms?

Answer 7

reduced amount of speech 
reduced motivation / drive 
reduced interest / pleasure 
reduced social interaction 
blunting of affect

Question 8

what is thought to be the best description of the cause of schizophrenia?

Answer 8

genetically determined neurodevelopmental vulnerability later triggered by environmental stressors

Question 9

what is the peak incidence of age of onset for men and women?

Answer 9

men - 15-25

women - 25-35

Question 10

does schizophrenia have a higher incidence in higher or lower socioeconomic class?

Answer 10

low

Question 11

what mutation gives higher risk of schizophrenia?

Answer 11

22q11

Question 12

what ethnic group is schizophrenia higher in?

Answer 12

african-caribbean in UK

Question 13

what birth complications predispose to schizophrenia?

Answer 13

perinatal complications - prematurity, prolonged labour, fetal distress, hypoxia

prenatal - viral infections, toxoplasmosis, chlamydia, maternal stress and malnutrition

Question 14

what are risk factors for schizophrenia?

Answer 14

drug use (esp cannabis)
urban dwelling
social adversity or deprivation
neurodevelopmental changes - enlarged ventricles, thinner cortices
neurochemical changes - altered dopamine signalling

Question 15

what are bad prognostic indicators in schizophrenia?

Answer 15

poor pre-morbid adjustment 
insidious onset 
early onset - childhood / adolescence 
long duration of untreated psychosis 
cognitive impairment 
enlarged ventricles

Question 16

what are good prognostic indicators in schizophrenia?

Answer 16

older age of onset
female gender
marked mood disturbance especially elation
family history of mood disorder

Question 17

what is the rate of suicide in patients with schizophrenia?

Answer 17

10-15%

Question 18

are you more or less likely to be killed by someone with schizophrenia?

Answer 18

less