Schizophrenia, etc Flashcards
What is the most common psychosis disorder?
schizophrenia
What are the 3 phases of schizophrenia?
prodromal
active
residual
What is the prodromal phase of schizophrenia like?
gradual change in behavior that may appear as personality or mood change lasting weeks to months
What is the active phase of schizophrenia like?
delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and behavior
-can include agitation, sleeplessness, dangerous behavior
How long does the prodromal phase usually last?
weeks to months
What is the residual phase of schizophrenia like?
continuing oddities or thinking and behavior often the negative and cognitive symptoms
Are delusions and hallucinations usually present in the residual phase of schizophrenia?
not usually
What are cognitive symptoms? What are some examples?
subtle or dramatic deficits in higher intellectual or executive functions that impair adaptive function and decision
Ex: impaired focus and attention, marked deficits in working memory
When does schizophrenia generally begin to appear?
adolescence and young adults
During what phase are most patients treated for schizophrenia?
active phase
What are the two criteria required for schizophrenic diagnosis?
- active phase with prominent symptoms last > 1 month (unless interrupted by meds)
- a total duration of symptoms, regardless of phase lasts >6 mo
How do cytokines relate to the development of schizophrenia?
exposure to cytokines or infection in the 2nd trimester can be a risk factor
What happens to the frontal lobes to contribute to the development of schizophrenia?
decreased blood flow to the frontal lobes
Where does thinning in the brain occur, associated with schizophrenia?
medial temporal lobe cortex, frontal cortex, small anterior portions of the hippocampus
What characteristics do the ventricles of a schizophrenic patient have?
enlarged lateral and 3rd ventricles
What is delusional disorder?
circumscribed and often bizarre delusion in an otherwise normal-appearing patient
How long must delusions of delusional disorder last for a diagnosis?
> 1 month
What is the time frame of a brief psychotic disorder?
< 1 month
What are some examples of positive symptoms?
behaviors not seen in normal people–> losing touch with reality:
–delusions, hallucinations, disordered thinking and speech
What are negative symptoms?
disruptions in normal emotion and behavior.
- harder to recognize than positive symptoms and can be mistaken for depression
- -lack of pleasure, lack of ability to begin and sustain, neglect of personal hygiene
How long must a patient have schizophrenic symptoms to be diagnosed?
6 months
What neurotransmitters are know to be out of balance in schizophrenia? How is it abnormal?
dopamine is increased
What part of the brain does dopamine effect (maybe) in schizophrenia causing positive symptoms?
mesolimbic system
How does changes in dopamine cause negative symptoms in schizophrenia?
alteration of DA and hypofunction in the prefrontal cortex are thought to cause negative symptoms
