Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders. (Tut 503 & PB) Flashcards
Define schizophrenia
Disorder characterized by severely impaired cognitive processes personality disintegration mood disturbance and social withdrawal
What is the schizophrenia spectrum
Group of disorders that range in severity and that have similar clinical features including varying degrees of reality distortion
Define psychosis
Condition involving loss of contact with it distorted view of reality
What are the categories for schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Positive symptoms
Psychomotor abnormalities
Cognitive symptoms
Negative symptoms
Discuss the positive symptoms associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
They involve delusions hallucinations disordered thinking incoherent communication and strange behaviour.
Delusions are false personal beliefs that are firmly and consistently held despite evidence to contrary or logic
* Delusions of grandeur: belief of being someone famous or powerful
*Delusions of control: belief that other people animal or object are trying to influence or take control of them
* Delusions of thought broadcast: belief that others can hear their thoughts
“Delusions of persecution: belief that others of plotting against mistreating or trying to kill them
*Delusions of reference: belief that they are centre of attention that all happenings revolve around them
*Delusions of thought withdrawal: belief that someone or something is removing thoughts from their mind
Paranoid ideation: suspicious about the actions or motives of others
Persecutory delusions: belief of being targetted by others
Hallucinations: Is a sensory experience like an image sound smell or taste that seems real but doesn’t exist outside of the mind.
Discuss the cognitive symptoms associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Disordered thinking communication and speech are common characteristics of schizophrenia. loosening of association referred to as cognitive slippage involves a continual shifting from topic to topic without any apparent connection between thoughts.
Discuss the abnormal psychomotor behaviour
Catatonia: a condition characterized by a marked disturbance in motor activity either extreme excitement or motoric immobility
Discuss the negative symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Symptoms associated with the inability or decreased ability to initiate actions or speech express emotions or feel pleasure
Avolition: an inability to initiate or persist in goal directed behaviour
Alogia: a lack of meaningful speech
Asociality: minimal interest in social relations
Anhedonia: reduced ability to experience pleasure from positive events
Diminished emotional expression: reduced display of emotion involving facial expressions voice intonation gestures in situations where emotional reaction is expected
What are the 3 phases of schizophrenia
Prodromal phase includes onset and buildup of schizophrenia where social withdrawal and isolation peculiar behaviour poor communication and neglect of self become evident
Active phase person shows full blown symptoms of schizophrenia including severe disturbance in thinking marked deterioration in relationship
Residual phase: symptoms are no longer prominent where psychotic behaviour and symptom severity decline.
What are delusional disorders
Persistent delusions without other unusual or odd behaviour tactile and olfactory hallucinations related to the delusional theme may be present. These must be present for at least 1 month
It involves eritomania: the belief that someone is in love with the individual this delusion has a romantic rather than sexual focus
Grandiosity: conviction that one has great unrecognised talent
Jealousy: conviction that one’s spouse is unfaithful
Persecution: belief that one is being conspired against
Somatic complaints: conviction of having body odor malformations
What is brief psychotic disorders
Psychotic episodes with a duration of at least 1 day but less than 1 month
What is a schizophreniform disorders
Psychotic episode with duration of at least 1 month but less than 6 months
What is schizoaffective disorders
A condition involving the existence of both symptoms of schizophrenia and major depressive or manic symptoms
