The Biological Explanations For Schizophrenia Flashcards
What is the genetic explanation for schizophrenia?
It is based on the premise that it is an inherited disorder that run to families
What are the three ways of investigating the biological explanations theory?
Twin studies family studies and adoption studies
What was the study as evidence of Twin studies?
GOTTESMAN (1991) – MZ twins and DZ twins
What was the study as evidence of family studies?
GOTTESMAN (1991) – having two schizophrenic parents, one schizophrenic parent or no schizophrenic parents
What was the study as evidence for adoption studies?
TIERNARI – adoptees schizophrenic mothers still developed schizophrenia at a higher rate than those without
What are candidate genes?
Jeans that are associated with a high risk of inheritance
Is schizophrenia polygenic?
Yes – there are multiple genes and schizophrenia
What does aetiologically heterogeneous mean?
a number of different combinations of genes can lead to the illness
What was the study for evidence of candidate genes?
RIPKE ET AL (2014) - gene associated with increased risk including coding for the functioning of a number of neurotransmitters including dopamine
What does the evidence of twin studies show?
If MZ twins are more concordant than DZ twins then this suggests that the greater similarity is due to genetics
What does the evidence for family studies suggest?
A higher concordance rate with children with two schizophrenia parents than with just one, suggests the concordance rate is due to genetics. Similar as having no parents is only 1% likelihood to develop schizophrenia
What does the study for adoptions studies suggest?
That the schizophrenia ‘genes’ still impact the children’s behaviour, despite being in a different environment. Suggests there is a genetic element to schizophrenia
What the study for candidate genes suggest?
There is no single gene that causes SZ, there are multiple genes that may have an influence. This could explain why there are so many different types of schizophrenia - catatonic, paranoid and residual SZ
What are the 3 biological hypothesis’?
Genetic basis, dopamine hypothesis and neural correlates
What are neurotransmitters in terms of SZ?
The brain’s chemical messengers appear to work differently in the brain of SZ patient
What is hyperdopaminergia in the sub cortex?
High levels or activity of dopamine in the sub cortex
What is the function of the sub cortex?
Involved in complex activities such as memory, emotion, pleasure and hormone production
What is the example given for hyperdopaminergia in the sub cortex?
Excess dopamine in Broca’s area
What is hypodopaminergia in the prefrontal cortex?
Low levels of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex
What is the function of the prefrontal cortex?
Controls the regulation of emotions
What are neural correlates?
Measurements of the structure or function of the brain that correlate with an experience
What is the negative symptom for neural correlates?
Avolition - the loss of motivation
What is the example of neural correlates of negative symptoms?
The ventral stratum - Juckel et al (2004) found that activity levels in the ventral striatum correlates with SZ
What is the positive symptom for neural correlates?
Auditory hallucinations
