AP Psychology Abnormal Module 68
What does the evidence suggest regarding a genetic link to schizophrenia? How can sets of twins be tested to be sure that the differences are not due to environmental factors?
-1 in 10 odds of being diagnosed if parent or twin has it -Children adopted by those w/schizophrenia don't catch it -Environmental factors, such as prenatal viral infections, nutritional deprivation & maternal stress can ¨turn on¨ the genes that predispose schizophrenia
Discuss the prevalence of schizophrenia
-1 in 100 -Men tend to be struck earlier, more severely & slightly more often
Relationship between the likelihood of recovery & the speed of onset of schizophrenia. How does this differ in acute schizophrenia as compared to chronic schizophrenia?
-Chronic:Slow developing process of making recovery doubtful. They often exhibit the persistent & incapacitating negative symptom of social withdrawal -Acute:Previously well-adjusted people develop this disorder rapidly, following particular life stresses & recovery is much more likely. They often have positive symptoms that are responsive to drug therapy
Discuss the disorganized thinking & speaking that are symptoms of schizophrenia
-Distorted perceptions -Disorganized thinking & speech -Diminished inappropriate emotions & actions -Hallucinations
Discuss the evidence for prenatal viral infections as a cause for schizophrenia
-Increased risk of developing disorder if the mother gets the flu during the prenatal development -Increased risk if people are born in densely populated areas where disease spreads more easily -Viral infections or famine conditions during mother pregnancy -Low weight & oxygen deprivation at birth
Diminished & inappropriate emotions characteristic of schizophrenia. What is meant by "flat affect"?
-Innapropriate emotions:Laughing at death & agitated for no reason -Flat effect:Emotionless state. Difficulty perceiving facial emotions & reading other states of mind
Describe the findings of brain scans on people w/chronic schizophrenia. Which brain structures are impacted or implicated in the disorder?
-Low brain activity in the frontal lobes -Out of synch neurons may disrupt integrated functioning of neural networks
How have PET scans been used to determine how the brain of those suffering from schizophrenia differs from those who are not?
-PET scans show that while people are hallucinating, hear a voice, or see something, their brain became active in several areas including the thalamus -PET scans done on people w/paranoia showed increased activity in the amygdala
Positive symptoms w/the negative symptoms of schizophrenia
-Positive:Hallucinations, talk in disorganized & deluded ways & exhibit inappropriate laughter, tears or rage. Presence of inappropriate behaviors -Negative:Toneless voices, expressionless faces or mute & rigid bodies. Absence of appropriate behaviors
In what way is motor behavior impacted by schizophrenia?
-Senseless compulsive acts:Continually rocking & rubbing an arm -Catalonia:Motionless for hours & then become agitated
What are two ways in which schizophrenia develops?
-Suddenly as a reaction to stress(acute) -Gradually, emerging from a long history of social inadequacy & poor school performance(chronic)
Schizophrenic delusion
False beliefs that are often fragmented, rejected or distorted. ¨I'm Marry Poppins¨
Psychological & environmental factors that may trigger schizophrenia
No environmental causes invariably cause schizophrenia
Role dopamine plays in schizophrenia
People w/schizophrenia have excess dopamine receptors that intensify brain signals creating positive symptoms such as hallucinations & paranoia
Explain the way in which selective attention is impacted by schizophrenia
People w/schizophrenia often have disorganized thoughts & cannot block out other stimuli to focus on one set of stimuli & become easily distracted
Schizophrenic hallucination
Sensory experiences w/out stimulation. They may see, hear, feel & taste or smell things that aren't there
Explain what is meant by a predisposition
Tendency to suffer from a particular condition
