Topic 5: Schizophrenia

Question 1

What are positive symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Excesses of thoughts, emotions, or behaviors (delusions and hallucinations)

Question 2

What are the negative symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 2

Deficits of thought, emotion and behavior

Question 3

What are disorganized symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Disturbance in the production and organization of thought

Question 4

What is the course of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

• prodromal phase
• active phase
• residual phase

Question 5

What about comorbidity in schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Comorbid substance abuse in about 50% of patients with schizophrenia

Question 6

What is the etiology of schizophrenia?

Answer 6

• genetics
• neurotransmitters (dopamine)
• structural brain impairments (grey matter loss, enlarged ventricles, decreased brain activity)

Question 7

What kind of brain alterations are seen in schizophrenia?

Answer 7

• gray matter loss
• enlarged ventricles
• decreased brain activity

Question 8

Hoe ontstaan negatieve symptomen in schizofrenie?

Answer 8

NMDA receptor hypofunction -> reduced stimulation of mesocortical dopamine release -> negative symptoms and cognitive deficits

Question 9

Hoe ontstaan positieve symptomen in schizofrenie?

Answer 9

Hypofunction of NMDA receptor -> reduced stimulation of GABA release -> disinhibition of mesolimbic dopamine release -> positive symptoms

Question 10

What kinds of treatment are available for schizophrenia?

Answer 10

• hospitalization
• psychosurgery
• antipsychotics
• psychological treatments

Question 11

Which distinction in antipsychotics can be made?

Answer 11

Traditional antipsychotic drugs versus atypical antipsychotics

Question 12

Characteristics of traditional antipsychotics

Answer 12

• primarily blocking of D2 receptors
• reduction of positive and disorganized symptoms
• little or no effect on negative symptoms

Question 13

Characteristics of atypical antipsychotics

Answer 13

• NOT primarily D2 receptor blockers
• broader spectrum of receptor activity with higher affinities to other receptors
• as effective as traditional antipsychotics concerning the reduction of positive and disorganized symptoms
• maybe better in reducing negative symptoms than traditional antipsychotics

Question 14

How are schizophrenic symptoms present in animals?

Answer 14

Positive symptoms: hyperactivity, hyper locomotion and stereotypic behavior
Negative symptoms: social withdrawal
Cognitive impairments: assessed by various maze tasks

Question 15

What is the definition of confabulation?

Answer 15

Confabulation refers to the production of false memories in patients suffering from amnesia

Question 16

What is the definition of a delusion

Answer 16

Delusion refers to the false beliefs created in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia

Question 17

What are the shared characteristics between confabulation and delusion?

Answer 17

They both involve the production of false claims that are often held with considerable conviction and are resistant to counter evidence

Question 18

One factor theory of delusion from maher

Answer 18

Delusions are created as responses to unusual experiences

Question 19

What are the symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 19

• positive symptoms
• negative symptoms
• disorganized symptoms