Psychology Senior Seminar Kirsten Porter-Stransky March 18, 2008
Definition Symptoms
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Positive Negative Disorganized Other
Delusions Hallucinations Other disorders of perception
Avolition Alogia Anhedonia Flat Affect Asociality
Disorganized Symptoms
◦ Disorganized Speech (thought disorder, disorganized speech) ◦ Bizarre Behavior
Other Symptoms
◦ Catatonia ◦ Inappropriate Affect
Disorganized Catatonic Paranoid Undifferentiated Residual
Excess activity of dopamine Support
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Treatment Antipsychotic drugs D2 receptors Amphetamines
Mesolimbic pathway Mesocortical pathway
Brain injury to PFC Dopamine neuron under-activity in PFC Release of mesolimbic dopamine neurons from inhibitory control Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Enlarged ventricles Decrease in cortical gray matter Decreased blood flow especially to the PFC
Schizophrenic
Normal
1 in 100 15-25 years old Genetic factor Environmental factors
◦ Birth complications ◦ Influenza virus during second trimester ◦ Low socioeconomic status in cities
¼ get well ¼ do well on medications & can live on own ¼ can live in a group home ¼ don’t respond well to treatment
◦ 10% commit suicide within 10 years ◦ 15% do not respond to medication at all
Antipsychotic drugs
◦ Neuroleptics ◦ Clozapine
Therapy
Davison, G.C., Neale, J.M., & Kring, A.M. (2004). Abnormal Psychology, 9th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. http://www.schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm