Week 1.1.2: Schizophrenia Flashcards
Are the presence of abnormal phenomena that most people don’t experience.
Positive Symptoms
What is included in positive symptoms?
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Formal Thought Disorder
Fixed false beliefs that are unshakable and not shared by others from the same culture.
Delusions
Perceptions without any external stimulus. Unlike illusions, which are misinterpretations of real stimuli.
Hallucinations
Disorganized thinking where thoughts don’t follow a logical sequence.
Formal Thought Disorder
Are the absence or reduction of normal functions and are often more distressing for patients and their families.
Negative Symptoms
What is included in negative symptoms?
- Blunt or Flat Affect
- Cognitive Difficulties
- Poverty of Speech
- Loss of Initiative
- Asocial Behavior
Reduced emotional expression. Patients may not react to jokes or show emotions.
Blunt or Flat Affect
Problems with thinking clearly, remembering, and concentrating.
Cognitive Difficulties
Limited verbal communication. Patients may speak very little.
Poverty of Speech
Reduced ability to start and maintain activities (i.e., eating)
Loss of Initiative
Acting in socially inappropriate ways, such as being rude or embarrassing.
Social Inhibition
Lack of care for one’s appearance (i.e., taking a shower, shaving)
Self-Neglect
What are the age differences in people with schizophrenia?
Younger People: Schizophrenia and psychosis generally affect younger individuals.
Peak Age for Men: Between 16 and 25 years old.
Children: Rarely develop psychosis, with very few cases in children under adolescence.
Older Men: Uncommon to develop psychosis later in life.
What are the gender differences in people with schizophrenia?
Men: Higher peak in early 20s, more likely to develop schizophrenia earlier.
Women: Less pronounced peak in early adulthood, but more likely to develop psychosis later in life.
What is estrogen’s role in psychosis?
May have a protective effect against psychosis due to its antidopaminergic properties (reducing dopamine activity).
Historical Perspectives on Schizophrenia
Emil Kraepelin:
Belief: Kraepelin believed that schizophrenia, which he called “dementia praecox,” inevitably deteriorated over time.
Comparison: He thought it was similar to a progressive condition like Alzheimer’s disease, which worsens over time.
Eugen Bleuler:
Belief: Bleuler believed that people with schizophrenia could recover.
Workplace: He worked and lived at Burghölzli Hospital in Switzerland.
Personal Experience: His son, Manfred Bleuler, grew up interacting with patients at the hospital, who were like “aunts and uncles” to him.
What was Manfred Bleuler’s observation?
On average, schizophrenia did not worsen after five years and often showed a tendency to improve.
What are the phases of schizophrenia?
- Premorbid Phase
- Prodromal Phase
- Onset
- Stable or Improving Period
Definition: The period before any symptoms of schizophrenia appear.
Characteristics: Individuals may seem completely healthy and show no signs of the illness.
Premorbid Phase
Definition: The period just before the onset of schizophrenia.
Characteristics: Subtle symptoms begin to appear, such as changes in behavior, mood, or thinking. These symptoms are often not severe enough to be diagnosed as schizophrenia but indicate that something is changing.
Prodrome Phase
Definition: The point at which clear symptoms of schizophrenia become apparent.
Characteristics: This is when the individual starts to experience significant symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized thinking.
Onset
Definition: The period after the initial onset where symptoms may stabilize or improve.
Characteristics: Contrary to the belief that schizophrenia inevitably deteriorates, many individuals experience periods of stability or even improvement in their symptoms.
Stable or Improving Period
What are the variable outcomes in schizophrenia?
Single Episode with Full Recovery
Intermittent Episodes with Long Periods of Wellness
Frequent Episodes with Periods of Wellness
Persistent Symptoms with Partial Recovery
Chronic Symptoms with Worsening Condition
Description: Some individuals experience just one acute episode of psychosis, receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and then recover completely.
Outcome: They return to their normal lives without further episodes.
Single Episode with Full Recovery
Description: Some individuals have an episode, recover, and remain well for several years before experiencing another episode.
Outcome: They may have long periods of normal functioning between episodes.
Intermittent Episodes with Long Periods of Wellness
Description: Some individuals experience episodes more frequently, such as every two years, but are relatively well in between.
Outcome: They manage to maintain a reasonable level of functioning between episodes.
Frequent Episodes with Periods of Wellness
Description: Some individuals have an episode and never fully recover from their symptoms.
Outcome: They continue to experience some symptoms even between episodes.
Persistent Symptoms with Partial Recovery
Description: Some individuals have an episode, and their symptoms never go away. They may have additional episodes, with symptoms, especially negative symptoms, worsening over time.
Outcome: Their condition progressively deteriorates, making it difficult to function normally.
Chronic Symptoms with Worsening Condition
