Schizophrenia BS Flashcards
1
Q
Expressed Emotion
A
- The level of negative emotion expressed towards a patient by their parents
- This can be verbal criticism, shown with violence
- Hostility towards the patients, including anger and rejection
- Emotional over-involvement, showing self-sacrifice for the patients
2
Q
SZ Definition
A
- A serious mental psychotic disorder characterised by a profound disruption of cognition and emotion
- Affect a persons language, thought and perceptions, emotions and even their sense of self
3
Q
Dopamine Hypothesis
A
- Claims that an excess of the neurotransmitter dopamine in certain regions of the brain is associated with positive symptoms of SZ
- Messages of neurons that transmit dopamine fire too easily, leading to hallucinations and delusions
- Schizophrenics have a high number of D2 receptors on receiving neurons, leading to more dopamine binding and more neurons firing
4
Q
Family Therapy
A
- The therapist can talk openly about symptoms, behaviour and treatment to all family members, ensuring there is informed consent and no details disclosed
- The family is encouraged to support each other, based on the idea that family dysfunction can cause SZ
- Family therapy is usually used alongside antipsychotic drugs
5
Q
Gotteman Family Study
A
Both Parents 46%
One Parent 13%
One Sibling 9%
6
Q
Gottesman Twin Study
A
MZ 48%
DZ 17%
7
Q
Weaknesses of Genetic Explanation
A
Biological Reductionism
Diathesis Stress Model
Nature AND Nurture with MZ twins
8
Q
Thornley
A
- Found evidence that Typical Anti-Psychotics were effective in tackling symptoms of SZ
- He compares Chlorpromazine to a placebo and found SZ patients had better functioning and reduced severity in symptoms with Chlorpromazine
- He also found that the relapse rate was lower for those who took Chlorpromazine
9
Q
Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs
A
- These drugs block the activity of dopamine within the brain by acting on D2 receptors to reduce dopamine
- These drugs temporarily occupy D2 receptors and then allow dopamine transmission
- They also work to increase serotonin activity in the brain and bind to serotonin receptors to improve mood
- These have fewer side effects than typical drugs, they work to reduce both positive and negative symptoms of SZ
10
Q
Clozapine
A
- Given when there is risk the SZ patient might commit suicide
- Binds to dopamine receptor cells but also acts on serotonin and glutamate receptors
11
Q
Risperidone
A
- As effective as Clozapine with less side effects
- Taken in tablet or syrup form
- Small doses are given to start with
- Binds more strongly to dopamine receptors than clozapine
12
Q
Meltzer
A
- Conducted research in support of Clozapine being the more effective drug for treating SZ
- Clozapine was found to be 30-50% more effective in minimising SZ symptoms compared to typical drugs
13
Q
Cheniaux et al
A
- One 44 DSM and ICD 26
- One 24 DSM and ICD 13
14
Q
Gender Bias in Diagnosis of SZ
A
- Accuracy of SZ diagnosis can be dependant on the gender of the patient which leads to gender bias occurring
- Male sufferers seem to be show more negative symptoms than women, and suffer more from substance abuse
- Males also have an earlier onset age compared to women, leading to them potentially wrongly being diagnosed
15
Q
Kulkarni Eval for Gender Bias in diagnosis of SZ
A
- Found female sex hormone estradiol can reduce their vulnerability to SZ
- When paired with anti-psychotic drugs it can be a protective factor present in females, lowering their chances of developing SZ
- Clinicians must take this into account during diagnosis to ensure a valid diagnosis
