Schizophrenia and Bipolar

Question 1

What is it considered when a patient has “ideas of reference”?

Answer 1

False belief of being referrenced to by others like the media

Question 2

What is a common thought process deficit of people with schizophrenia?

Answer 2

Impaired ability for abstract thought

Question 3

What are the phases of schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Prodromal – initial signs prior to first pyschotic episode, new interest in religion/philosophy and physical complaints
Active Phase – loses touch with reality and disordered perception and thought
Residual Phase – in touch with reality, characterized by presence of negative symptoms

Question 4

What is the typical course of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Typically downhill course over years and can stabilize mid-life

• Suicide is common
• The more social relationships and stable life the better prognosis and lower suicide risk

Question 5

What are common pathology found in schizophrenia?

Answer 5

• Diminished Activity of Frontal Lobes
• Enlarged Lateral Ventricle
• Decreased volume of Limbic structures

Question 6

What are possible reasons for the dopamine theory?

Answer 6

• Increased Dopamine
• Increased Dopamine Receptors
• Increased Sensitivity to Dopamine

Question 7

What subtype of schizophrenia is when the patient’s symptoms onset before 25 years old with poor grooming and disheveled appearance with inappropriate laughing.

Answer 7

Disorganized Schizophrenia

Question 8

What subtype of schizophrenia consists of agitation with incoherent speech and bizarre body positioning?

Answer 8

Catatonic

Question 9

What subtype of schizophrenia causes the patient to have delusions of persecution and seems to onset later in life than other subtypes?

Answer 9

Paranoid Schizophrenia

Question 10

What is considered Residual Schizophrenia?

Answer 10

When the patient had a past psychotic episode, but only currently has residual negative symptoms without psychotic symptoms.

Question 11

If a patient randomly moves to LA from across the country and tells everyone that she is moving there because George Clooney is in love with her and he wants her to move there for him. What is this considered?

Answer 11

Delusional Disorder

Question 12

If a man is in a relationship with a women who occasionally has psychotic and delusional epsides, he begins to experience irrational thoughts of people watching him and following him. What might be going on?

Answer 12

Shared Psychotic Disorder (Folie a deux)

- Where one person with psychotic disorder can induce it in a close relationship

Question 13

If a patient has psychotic symptoms with delusions with residual negative symptoms that lasted for the last 4 months, what is this considered?

Answer 13

Schizophreniform Disorder – 1-6 months of symptoms

**Schizophrenia is only if it more than 6 months of symptoms

Question 14

What neurotransmitter is most common responsible for delusions and hallucinations?

Answer 14

• Increased Dopamine or Serotonin

Question 15

What is the difference between abnormal thought processes and form of thought in schizophrenic patients?

Answer 15

Thought Processes – impaired ability to think or have false beliefs of magical abilities
Form of Thought – impaired ability to express thoughts in an organized fashion – too much detail, disorganized, new words, repeative
Thought Content – delusions and ideas of reference (thinking people are talking about you)
Perceptions – illusions and hallucinations

Question 16

What is the difference between illusion and hallucination?

Answer 16

Illusion – misinterpretation of a REAL stimulus

hallucination – visual/audio stimuli that are not present

Question 17

What is the difference between Schizoaffective Disorder and Schizophrenia?

Answer 17

Schizoaffective – symptoms of both schizophrenia and mood disorder, but once the mood symptoms subside psychotic symptoms persist for at least 2 weeks.

Schizophrenia – symptoms of psychotic and residual symptoms lasting at least 6 months