Symptoms, Causes & Features of Schizophrenia (Clinical Psychology)

Question 1

What are Positive Symptoms also known as?

Answer 1

Type 1 Symptoms

Question 2

What are Positive Symptoms?

Answer 2

Symptoms which add to the experience of the patients

Question 3

What types of positive symptoms can schizophrenic patients have?

Answer 3

Delusions Hallucinations Disorganised Thinking/Speech Abnormal motor behaviour Disorganised Behaviour

Question 4

What are Delusions?

Answer 4

Any beliefs they hold that they won’t change, even if there’s facts to prove it wrong

Question 5

What are Persecutory Delusions?

Answer 5

Believing someone is out to get them/ is harming them

Question 6

What are Grandiose Delusions?

Answer 6

Believing they are of a high status

Question 7

What are Referential Delusions?

Answer 7

Believing certain behaviours/language from others are somehow directed to them

Question 8

What are the 3 Types of Delusions?

Answer 8

Persecutory Grandiose Referential

Question 9

What are Hallucinations?

Answer 9

Extra perceptions that occur without them actually being present

Question 10

What are Visual Hallucinations?

Answer 10

When you see something that is not present

Question 11

What are Auditory Hallucinations?

Answer 11

Where you hear things that are not here. It may consist of two or more voices conversing with each other, or there might be a running commentary. This is thought to be the most common type of hallucination associated with schizophrenia.

Question 12

What is meant by Disorganised Thinking/Speech?

Answer 12

When they jump from topic to topic with no connection

Question 13

What is meant by abnormal motor behaviour?

Answer 13

Unpredictable reactions

Question 14

What is meant by Disorganised Behaviour?

Answer 14

Behaviours that appear bizarre and have no purpose, a lack of inhibition and impulse control, unpredictable or inappropriate emotional responses and a decline in overall daily functioning

Question 15

What are Negative Symptoms also known as?

Answer 15

Type 2 symptoms

Question 16

What are Negative Symptoms?

Answer 16

Symptoms which take away from the experience of the patients

Question 17

What are the Types of Negative Symptoms?

Answer 17

Catatonic Behaviour Diminished Emotional Expression Avolition

Question 18

What is Catatonic Behaviour?

Answer 18

A reduction in activity, where all movement stops

Question 19

What is meant by Diminished Emotional Expression?

Answer 19

Individuals show less and less emotions in their use of non-verbal communication (facial expression, eye contact, physical gestures)

Question 20

What is Avolition?

Answer 20

A lack of motivation to complete usual and self-motivated activities

Question 21

What symptoms must be displayed to be diagnosed with schizophrenia?

Answer 21

To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, the patient must display two characteristic symptoms for at least one month. Also, there must be signs of disturbed behaviour for 6 months, no evidence of drug used causing symptoms, and no depression.

Question 22

What is the Prevalence and Onset of Schizophrenia?

Answer 22

The likeliness of a person developing schizophrenia is 0.3% - 0.7%. It depends on racial/ethnic background, and gender. Episodes of psychosis associated with schizophrenia tend to appear in late adolescence - mid for males, with the peak of onset being around 20-25. For females, onset happens later, typically from 25 until 30.

Question 23

What is meant by Prognosis?

Answer 23

How long the disease will last

Question 24

What is the Prognosis of Schizophrenia?

Answer 24

It is difficult to predict the course of illness. Around 20% of those diagnosed will respond well to treatment. A large number will remain chronically ill needing regular treatment + intervention. Doctors, as yet, haven’t found a way to accurately predict an individuals prognosis after diagnosis.

Question 25

What are some Other Features of Schizophrenia?

Answer 25

Many patients will show general cognitive functioning deficits in areas such as working memory, language functioning and speed of information processing. Mood abnormalities are also common.

Question 26

When did Carlsson et al’s study take place?

Answer 26

2000

Question 27

What was the Title of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?

Answer 27

Network interactions in schizophrenia - therapeutic implications

Question 28

What was the Aim of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?

Answer 28

Investigate the role of neurotransmitters on Sz symptoms.

More evidence for dopamine hypothesis.

Question 29

What 2 camps of neurochemical explanations for schizophrenia did Carlsson et al investigate?

Answer 29

High dopamine Low glutamate

Question 30

Why did they believe it was important to investigate these 2 views?

Answer 30

This is important to investigate, to try and reduce negative side effects To try to develop drugs that reduce negative side effects with drugs that reduce dopamine

Question 31

What 3 areas of research did Carlsson et al (2000) review?

Answer 31

1. Brain Scans showing link between high dopamine and schizophrenia 2. Recreational Drugs that induce psychosis 3. Research on Drugs that Treat Schizophrenia, and the neurotransmitters of the brain that they effect

Question 32

What Recreational Drugs did Carlsson look at in his 2000 study?

Answer 32

1. amphetamines/speed (increases dopamine, causes hallucinations) 2. PCP/angel dust (reduces glutamate, causes

Question 33

What were the 3 Key Findings in Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?

Answer 33

Dopamine Hypothesis revisited: PET scan provide evidence for dopamine hypothesis (dopaminergic dysfunction).

• Sz patients > dopamine activity than healthy control group especially in basal ganglia.

Beyond dopamine: neurotransmitters affect each other so is dopamine the only one at play in Sz symptoms? Carlsson focus on glutamate…

• Lodge et al (1989) - glutamate activity at NMDA receptors produces psychotic symptoms in humans and rats.

Glutamatergic control of dopamine release: Glutamate regulates the behaviour of dopamine in the brain - acts as an “accelerator” increasing it or a “brake” decreasing it.

• Miller & Abercrombie (1996) - reduction in glutamate activity leads to an increase release in dopamine (by blocking NMDA receptors which glutamate binds to).

Question 34

What was the Conclusion of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?

Answer 34

Carlsson suspects there are “subpopulations” of Sz whos symptoms have different biological explanations.

Lack of glutamate might cause patients to have an exaggerated response to dopamine at post-synapse.

Researchers should start looking into the role of other neurotransmitters e.g. Gaba and acetylcholine.

Question 35

What are the Strengths of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?

Answer 35

G: Carlsson et al had combined the finding of many studies in their review meant a large overall sample size R/V: Carlsson used statistical analyses, giving their findings a degree of objectivity, credibility + validity R/V: The brain scans used are standardised and objective methods E: No ethical guidelines were broken

Question 36

What are the Weakness of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?

Answer 36

G: Many of the studies reviewed were completed on rats R/V: The validity + reliability of the original data is unknown R: The original data may have been cherry picked