Schizophrenia -> Biological Explanations Flashcards
Genetic causes of schizophrenia
polygenic
NRG1
glutamatergic signalling
NMDA
NRG3
Gottesman and Shields
224
106 and 118
concordance rates
In depth interviews
Doctors case notes
The DSM
48%
17%
genetic basis
Strength of Gottesman and Shields
longitudinal
long periods of time
Monitor development
&
reliable and valid
in depth interviews, doctor case notes and the DSM
inter-rater reliability and higher validity
Weaknesses of Gottesman and Shields
behavioural approach
Identical twins
social learning theory
illness via genetics.
&
interviews with patients
difficulty with their speech and communication
negative effect on the diagnosis and classification
The Dopamine Hypothesis
dopamine
hyperdopaminergia
phenothiazine’s
positive symptoms
negative symptoms
L-Dopa
LSD and amphetamines
Post mortem
left amygdala
Glutamate
shaping learning and memory
abnormal,
PET scanning
Strengths of the dopamine hypothesis
high level of dopamine in their brain
L-Dopa
worse and intensified
&
scientific evidence
brain scans (PET and fMRI)
Weaknesses of the dopamine hypothesis
cause and effect
dopamine levels
PET scanning
&
reductionist
dopamine alone
other factors or causes
Neural Correlates
structural and functional brain abnormalities post mortems
fMRI
cognitive and memory tasks
Neural correlates: Swayze
50
MRI
structural abnormalities
- A decrease in brain weight
- Enlarged ventricles (that are filled with water)
- A smaller hypothalamus
- Less grey matter (this is where the intelligence is held and it seems to deteriorate)
- Structural abnormalities in the pre frontal cortex (where the personality is held)
Weaknesses of neural correlates
ventricles
significant
neural correlates
&
cause and effect
abnormal neural correlates
alter
&
contradictory evidence
enlarged brain ventricles
mania
vulnerability factor
