The Dopamine Hypothesis Flashcards
What is the dopamine hypothesis?
That schizophrenia is caused by an excess of dopamine or over-sensitive dopamine receptors
What is a neurotransmitter ?
A chemical impulse which sends messages around the body
What does more dopamine cause?
Symptoms of schizophrenia
How are dopamine Neurons linked to schizophrenia?
They guide attention which can cause problems with attention, perception and though - seen in schizophrenics
What do alterations in the limbic system and hippocampus lead to?
Agitation - seen in schizophrenics
Where are dopamine Neurons located?
Limbic system
How do amphetamines highlight the role of dopamine in schizophrenics?
They’re a dopamine antagonist, they stimulate nerve cells which causes the synapse to be flooded with dopamine
What can large doses of amphetamines cause and how does this highlight the role of dopamine in schizophrenia?
They cause delusions and hallucinations showing how an increase in dopamine is linked with schizophrenic symptoms
Evaluate the effectiveness of drug treatments
They only reduce positive symptoms, not negative
Adds to the idea that there should be two different disorders
Evidence from drug treatments came from who?
Davis et al
What did Davis et all do?
Meta analysis
29 studies
Compared relapse rates of an antipsychotic and a placebo
What did Davis et al find?
Relapse rates:
Drug - 19%
Placebo - 55%
What’s a limitation of using drugs?
They just block dopamine which means they don’t cure it, lead to a flooding and relapse if stopped
How is the dopamine hypothesis reductionist?
It over simplifies a complex condition, it can’t just be down to a brain chemical imbalance
Link to psychological ideas
