schizophrenia - biological causes

Question 1

3 suggested biological causes

Answer 1

neurotransmitters, genes, brain structure

Question 2

genes - prevalence

Answer 2

prevalence remains constant despite growing world population

Question 3

genes - twin study - example

Answer 3

Gottesman and Shields (1966)
studied concordance rate for schizophrenia in 57 twin pairs
54% of MZ twins both had sz
18% of DZ twins both had sz

would be expected to be 100% in MZ twins because they share the same genes

Question 4

genes - family studies

Answer 4

higher prevalence in siblings and other relatives of sz sufferers.

Question 5

brain structure cards in seperate deck

Answer 5

in seperate deck

Question 6

neurotransmitters - dopamine hypothesis

Answer 6

excess of dopamine activity in the brain of sz patients

links to D2 receptor malfunction - means that dopamine works for longer and in excess

Question 7

neurotransmitters - glutamate

Answer 7

regulates dopamine and the function of it

the glutamate problem may be causing the problem with dopamine, resulting in sz

Question 8

neurotransmitters - serotonin

Answer 8

excess of serotonin activity - causes negative sz symptoms