Symptoms, Causes & Features of Schizophrenia (Clinical Psychology) Flashcards
What are Positive Symptoms also known as?
Type 1 Symptoms
What are Positive Symptoms?
Symptoms which add to the experience of the patients
What types of positive symptoms can schizophrenic patients have?
Delusions Hallucinations Disorganised Thinking/Speech Abnormal motor behaviour Disorganised Behaviour
What are Delusions?
Any beliefs they hold that they won’t change, even if there’s facts to prove it wrong
What are Persecutory Delusions?
Believing someone is out to get them/ is harming them
What are Grandiose Delusions?
Believing they are of a high status
What are Referential Delusions?
Believing certain behaviours/language from others are somehow directed to them
What are the 3 Types of Delusions?
Persecutory Grandiose Referential
What are Hallucinations?
Extra perceptions that occur without them actually being present
What are Visual Hallucinations?
When you see something that is not present
What are Auditory Hallucinations?
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.
What is meant by Disorganised Thinking/Speech?
When they jump from topic to topic with no connection
What is meant by abnormal motor behaviour?
Unpredictable reactions
What is meant by Disorganised Behaviour?
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
What are Negative Symptoms also known as?
Type 2 symptoms
What are Negative Symptoms?
Symptoms which take away from the experience of the patients
What are the Types of Negative Symptoms?
Catatonic Behaviour Diminished Emotional Expression Avolition
What is Catatonic Behaviour?
A reduction in activity, where all movement stops
What is meant by Diminished Emotional Expression?
Individuals show less and less emotions in their use of non-verbal communication (facial expression, eye contact, physical gestures)
What is Avolition?
A lack of motivation to complete usual and self-motivated activities
What symptoms must be displayed to be diagnosed with schizophrenia?
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.
What is the Prevalence and Onset of Schizophrenia?
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.
What is meant by Prognosis?
How long the disease will last
What is the Prognosis of Schizophrenia?
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.
What are some Other Features of Schizophrenia?
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.
When did Carlsson et al’s study take place?
2000
What was the Title of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?
Network interactions in schizophrenia - therapeutic implications
What was the Aim of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?
Investigate the role of neurotransmitters on Sz symptoms.
More evidence for dopamine hypothesis.
What 2 camps of neurochemical explanations for schizophrenia did Carlsson et al investigate?
High dopamine Low glutamate
Why did they believe it was important to investigate these 2 views?
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
What 3 areas of research did Carlsson et al (2000) review?
- 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
What Recreational Drugs did Carlsson look at in his 2000 study?
- amphetamines/speed (increases dopamine, causes hallucinations) 2. PCP/angel dust (reduces glutamate, causes
What were the 3 Key Findings in Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?
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).
What was the Conclusion of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?
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.
What are the Strengths of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?
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
What are the Weakness of Carlsson et al’s (2000) study?
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
