PSY341 Chapter 14 Key Terms

antipsychotic drugs

medications that are used to treat schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders

catatonia

a state of unresponsiveness to one's outside environment, usually including muscle rigidity, staring, and inability to communicate

delusion

a false belief, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders

dopamine hypothesis

the theory that schizophrenia results from excessive activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine

flat affect

The display of little or no emotion—a common negative symptom of schizophrenia.

hallucination

false sensory experience, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

inappropriate affect

Display of emotions that are unsuited to the situation; a symptom of schizophrenia.

loose associations

A common thinking disturbance in schizophrenia, characterized by rapid shifts from one topic of conversation to another. Also known as derailment.

negative symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are marked by deficits in functioning, such as apathy, lack of emotion, and slowed speech and movement

positive symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are excesses of behavior or occur in addition to normal behavior; hallucinations, delusions, and distorted thinking

psychosis

a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions

schizophrenia

a psychological disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished, inappropriate emotional expression

schizophrenogenic mother

A type of mother—supposedly cold, domineering, and uninterested in the needs of her children—who was once thought to cause schizophrenia in her child.

second generation antipsychotic drugs

A relatively new group of antipsychotic drugs whose biological action is different from that of the traditional antipsychotic drugs. Also known as atypical antipsychotic drugs.

cognitive remediation

a treatment that focuses on the cognitive impairments that often characterize people with schizophrenia - particularly their difficulties in attention, planning, and memory

community mental health center

a treatment facility that provides medication, psychotherapy, and emergency care for psychological problems and coordinates treatment in the community

Deinstitutionalization

moving people with psychological or developmental disabilities from highly structured institutions to home- or community-based settings

extrapyramidal effects

unwanted movements, such as severe shaking, bizarre-looking grimaces, twisting of the body, and extreme restlessness, sometimes produced by conventional antipsychotic drugs

milieu therapy

a humanistic approach to institutional treatment based on the belief that institutions can help patients recover by creating a climate that promotes self-respect, responsible behavior, and meaningful activity

neuroleptic drugs

conventional antipsychotic drugs, so called because they often produce undesired effects similar to the symptoms of neurological disorders

sheltered workshop

a protected and supervised workplace that offers job opportunities and training at a pace and level tailored to people with various psychological disabilities

tardive dyskinesia

involuntary movements of the facial muscles, tongue, and limbs; a possible neurotoxic side effect of long-term use of antipsychotic drugs that target certain dopamine receptors

token economy program

a behavioral program in which a person's desirable behaviors are reinforced systematically throughout the day by the awarding of tokens that can be exchanged for goods or privileges

Prodromal, active, and residual phases

prodromal is beginning of deterioration and signs of mild symptoms; active is the symptoms becoming apparent; residual is the return to prodromal like levels

poverty of speech

restriction in the amount of speech used; replies may be monosyllabic

Parkinsonian symptoms

reactions that closely resemble the features of the neurological disorder Parkinson's disease

neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Life-threatening muscle rigidity, fever, and rhabdomyolysis.