Schizophrenia (Oversimplified prob dont use unless desperate)

Question 1

Schizophrenia

Cause

Genes

Prevalance

Answer 1

The prevalence rate of schizophrenia is 1% of the world’s population

this does not change year to year though

therefore meaning that there is a strong genetic components

As if it was contagious more people would get it but as people are born and die it’s probably genetic

Question 2

Schizophrenia

Cause

genes

twin studieds

Answer 2

If one twin has schizophrenia does the other one?

well Gottesman and shields 1966 went to find out

Reminder MZ =100% identical
DZ = 50%

57 twin pairs

MZ = 54% shared SZ (Concordance rate)

DZ = 18%

. This therefore shows but it’s not just genetic as MZ would be 100% concordance rate

but it does show there is a large netic and opponent as the concordance rate of MZ twins sharing schizophrenia is greater than DZ twins

Question 3

Schizophrenia

Cause

Genes

Adoption Studies

Answer 3

Adoptions studies use twins

one has been adopted by someone who is not their biological parent so they grew up in a different environments from which ones their siblimgs did with their bio parents

this is to determin if there is a Nurture factor in SZ

• Kety Et al 1968

33 adopted twins

finds a high concordants rate among adopted twins if one has schizophrenia the other one likely does too

so genetics is still a large influencing factor for SZ than environment

Question 4

Schizophrenia

Cause genes

Family studies

Answer 4

Family studies of studies but look at the relationships of those with schizophrenia to their parents or relatives that also have it

Kety et al 1986 also did this in their study

They found a higher percentage of family members and relatives also had schizophrenia

This therefore shows that there is a high genetic components in schizophrenia

Question 5

Schizophrenia

Cause Brain Structure

Ventricles

Answer 5

The ventricles are filled with fluids

In schizophrenia brains there are much larger ventricles than a non schizophrenia brains

therefore an increase amount of brain damage is present in those with schizophrenia

Question 6

Schizophrenia

Cause brain structure

Pfc

Answer 6

The prefronto Cortex is problem solving the people with schizophrenia has visual damage in the prefrontal cortext compared to non-skits of running people

Question 7

Schizophrenia

Cause

Brain structure

Visual Cortex

Answer 7

The visual Cortex is located in the back of the brain where the visual functions are done

People with schizophrenia have damage to their visual cortex

SZ people have visual deficits in the way the perceived the world around them

Question 8

Schizophrenia

Cause Brain structure

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 8

Wernicke’s area is located on the left side of the brain for right-handed people and the overway round for left-handed people

It’s also located within the language area of the brain

in which there are two different pathways to deal with language

what

which allows us to understand what is being said and

where

which allows us to understand where the voices coming from

brains can differentiate between internal and external dialect of those around them

however in schizophrenic brains this not so easily done

which is why they have internal conversations but perceive it as an external one

which results in auditory hallucinations

A symptom of schizophrenia

Question 9

Schizophrenia

Cause
Neurotransmitters

Dopamime

Answer 9

Dopamine is active in excess in certain parts of the schizophrenic brain

This is linked to one kind of dopamine receptor which receives dopamine and causes it to be active this is called the D2 receptor

The malfunction of this means that dopamine works for longer in excess which causes the cognitive systems to function incorrectly

This was first discovered in 1950 when a drug was used up to effectively treating psychosis

including SZ which affected the dopamine system in the brain

so they found that a system of dopamine causes the issue of SZ

Question 10

Schizophrenia

Cause NT

Glutamate

Answer 10

And large amount of glutamate acts to regulate the amount / function of dopamine

If there is an issue with glutamate it may lead to the dopamine issue that causes schizophrenic symptoms such as the cognitive systems to incorrectly function

Question 11

Schizophrenia

Cause NT

Serotonin

Answer 11

Serotonin activity in excess in certain parts of the brain may cause the kind of negative symptoms of schizophrenia for example their flattened effect

similar to some forms of depression

Question 12

Schizophrenia

First generation drugs

Answer 12

First generation drugs are typical antipsychotics

which are used to primarily treat positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions

Question 13

Schizophrenia

Second generation drugs

Answer 13

These are atypical antipsychotics

they also are effective at treating positive symptoms but they are more effective than the first gen drugs at treating negative symptoms

Sutch as a lack of ordinary mental activities such as emotional expression, social engagment, thinking and motivation

Question 14

Schizophrenia

Chloroplosamine

1st gen

Answer 14

Est. 1953

It reduces the symptoms of SZ such as hallucinations

It works by dampening the effect of dopamene and reducing its activity in all of the brain

A major side effects of this is that dopamine also controls motor movements in the brain so by decreasing dopamine you decrease the motor movements

Two little dopeamine leads to Parkinson’s Disease which involves muscle stiffness

As in SZ only some parts of the brain have excess dopamine that means by reducing all of it in the brain it leads to major motorc side effects

such as unusual, slow, a lack of and uncontrollable movement in the body

Due to this major side effect on motor movements it led to patients being reluctant to take it

Other side effects included possible seizures

Question 15

Schizophrenia

Haloperidol 1st gen

Answer 15

Introduced in 1967

It was far more Potent than chloropromazine meaning that it was only needed in smaller doses

which meant that it had a less overall effect on motor movement but it was still quite high

It was effective at stopping auditory hallucinations

This works by dampening dopamines affects

Motor movments side effects are still severe including slow, unusual ,a lack of and uncontrollable movements in the body

Other side effects include the feeling sleepy, Insomnia, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation and Blury vision

Question 16

Schizophrenia

Clozapine

2nd gen

Answer 16

Introduced in 1990 it was a second generation drug

which decreased the motor movment side effects so more patients were willing to take them

but it also increased psychosis treatment

Decrease hallucinations and delusions which worked by inhibiting D2 dopamine receptors

Side effects

Causes potential issues / risks of agranulocytosis

( decreased white blood cell efficiency)

Therefore it weakens the immune system and increases the risk of infection and disease

This meant that patients that were given it needed Close monitoring to see if they were developing this so they could treat it

which was impractical

Question 17

Schizophrenia

Olanzapine

Second gen

Answer 17

Lanzapine was introduced in 1991 in the United States of America and in 1996 in use for general medication

It had very good effect ( at reducing the positive symptoms of SZ)

in the early stages of psychosis such as after their first psychotic episode

This LED the moral question on should you give drugs to somebody who is a relative of someone SZ due to the genetic factor and therefore at risk of getting it

Even if they have not had their first psychotic episode yet so we can’t confirm if they will develop it or not

This works by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain and it affects serotonin by rebalancing it so behavior can be improved

Side effects include:

Changes in Vision (blur)

Balance and walking changes increasing clumsiness and dizziness

Question 18

Schizophrenia

Aripiprazole

3rd gen

Answer 18

Aripiprazole was introduced in 2002 and the worked to reduce hallucinations in SZ patients

It works as a partial agonist

an Dopamine Agonist means that it does the same function as normal dopeamine

the Partial means:

when a molecule of ari attaches to a D2 dopamine receptor it does only PART of dopamine’s normal job

Therefore the part of the molecule that that’s working will be able to control motor functions

and the parts that is not working will be in the areas of the brain that has excess dopamine activity therefore reducing hallucinations
(as its not active)

side effects include

Light-headedness, stomach pains, anxiousness, constipation, feeling sick, sleep trouble, blurry vision

Question 19

Schizophrenia

Strengths that drugs are successful in treating SZ

Answer 19

• all afformentioned drugs treat hallucinations and other effects very well

• second generation drugs have more effective psychosis treatments and less severe motorcycle effects so patients are more likely to take them

• Aripiprazole has less side effects as it is a partial agonist so there is more treatment of hallucinations and less motor side effects meaning that it is very ethical and more likely to be used in the medical field

• olanzapine is a good treatment at early stages of psychosis and maybe even be able to treat people who are only at risk of developing schizophrenia

so it may be able to use the used to reduce the chances of SZ occurring/ developing in the first place

Question 20

Schizophrenia

weaknesses that drugs are successfull at treating SZ

Answer 20

• first gen drugs have severe motor side effects ( muccle stiffness/unresponsivness) similar to Parkinson’s Disease this also leads to a patient reluctant to take them

• most of the affirmation drugs have side effects: on vision, sleep, dizziness, constipation and anxiousness

• using olanzapine to treat early stages of psychosis raises a moral issue as they’ve not yet had a psychotic episode yet

so to treat someone that does not have any symptoms means that they are just giving them the drug side effects

and the drug could be used on someone who was actually shown a psychotic episode

• arapitrazole deal has minus side effects such as light-headedness, blurry vision, anxiousness and constipation, therefore despite being a drug used in the medical field it is not Flawless

• chloroprozenine and Haloperidol
Have major motorcycle effects such as muscle stiffness, unresponsiveness, slow, uncontrollable movements etc and were the only medication for SZ from 1953 to 1990 over the space of 37 years

And chloropamine also had side effects of possible seizures

So aripiprazole maybe good but it is only a recent development and many had to deal with the major motor side effects in first gen drugs if they didn’t simply refuse them