Schizophrenia - Biological Explanation And Treatment Flashcards
What does the genetic explanation of schizophrenia suggest?
Schizophrenia is inherited and polygenic.
What do families study show about the genetic explanation of schizophrenia?
Family studies showed that the likely head of developing schizophrenia increases the more closely related the individual is to a person with schizophrenia. This suggests that there is some genetic cause of schizophrenia.
What do twins study share about the genetic explanation of schizophrenia?
Twin studies are used to test the genetic nature of schizophrenia. If there is a high concordance rate between mono psychotic twins and dyzygotic twins it’s just that there is a genetic link.
What is the dopamine hypothesis and the biological explanation of schizophrenia?
Dopamine is an excitatory neurotransmitter linked to positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
- Schizophrenia is as a result of too much dopamine being produced or oversensitivity of D2 receptors at the post-synaptic terminal.
What is hyperdopaminergia?
Excessive levels of dopamine in the subcortex and Broca’s area. This is linked to positive symptoms.
What is hypodopaminergia?
Low levels of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. This is linked to negative symptoms.
How do antipsychotic drugs support the dopamine hypothesis?
They have been found to treat schizophrenia by inhibiting dopamine activity.
What are the neural correlates in the genetic explanation?
Refer to necessary brain activity to produce specific experiences. This includes measurement of brain structures that correlate with experiences such as those linked to symptoms of schizophrenia.
Give examples of neural correlates
The prefrontal cortex – many people with schizophrenia have lower activity in this area which could be linked to delusions. The prefrontal cortex helps people to organise their thoughts logically.
Dopamine – low levels in certain areas are linked to negative symptoms as these are linked to a lot of pleasure. High levels in certain brain areas are linked to positive symptoms.
What is a psychotic?
A condition where a person loses touch with reality.
What is a typical antipsychotic?
They are dopamine antagonist meaning they inhibit dopamine activity by blocking dopamine receptors in the synapse. They are most effective in treating positive symptoms.
Examples : chlorpromazine
What are atypical antipsychotic drugs?
Developed in the 1980s as a solution to the potentially damaging side effects of typical antipsychotics. They are also dopamine antagonist but may also act as serotonin agonist meaning they inhibit serotonin reuptake in the synapse. They treat both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Example: risperidone.
What is family dysfunction?
Family conflict leads to stress and confusion which can cause people to develop schizophrenia.
What is high expressed emotion in families?
When families negatively speak to each other and express a lot of criticism and over involvement in each other’s lives. These both cause a lot of stress and confusion for the child which can lead them to develop schizophrenia.
What is the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
The symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by dysfunctional thought processing.
What is impaired meta representation?
Being unable to recognise actions and thoughts as your own this can lead to positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
What is impaired central control?
Being unable to suppress automatic thoughts and speech triggered by other thoughts can help to explain disorganised speech.
What is family therapy?
A psychological therapy involving schizophrenic patient and their families which aims to reduce family conflict.
What are the steps of family therapy?
- The therapist educates the family on the disorder and its symptoms. This helps them understand the illness.
- The therapist helps the family find more effective coping strategies for the patient for example redirecting their thoughts this can help when they are struggling to cope with symptoms.
- Changing communication styles this could help to reduce the degree of expressed emotion in the family.
What does cognitive behavioural therapy aim to do?
Aim to challenge the patient irrational beliefs and thought processes such as delusions.
What is the price of cognitive behavioural therapy in schizophrenia?
- The therapist encourages the patient to explain their experiences. They challenge any irrational beliefs by giving evidence that disproves their thoughts helping the patient understand that they are not based on reality.
- The patient is then given homework to test the therapist hypothesis and to try out coping strategies that they have learned in therapy.
