AP Psych: schizophrenia

psychosis

-a mental state marked by loss of contact with reality

-involves distorted thoughts, perceptions, and emotions

psychotic disorters

-a group of disorders characterized by psychosis

-common features: irrational ideas, hallucinations, and delusions

schizophrenia spectrum disorder

-complex, serious mental disorder that affects thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and behavior

-"spectrum" refers to the wide variation in how the disorder presents

-symptoms, severity, and course of illness differ from each individual

positive schizo symptoms

-inappropriate behaviors are present

-hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, inappropriate laughter/tears/rage

negative schizo symptoms

-appropriate behaviors are absent

-flat affect (absence of emotion/expression, apathy, monotone voice, etc.), reduced speech, mute/rigid body

disturbed perceptions and beliefs

-hallucinations

-delusions

delusions of persecution

belief that one is being targeted/harassed

delusions of grandeur

inflated sense of self-importance or power

delusions of reference

belief that ordinary objects/events have special meanings for oneself

somatic delusions

false beliefs about the body

disorganized speech

-thoughts becoming jumbled, making speech difficult to follow

-word salad

schizophrenia paranoid subtype

-dominated by delusions and hallucinations

-common themes: persecution, grandiosity

-often more organized thought and behavior than other subtypes

schizophrenia catatonic subtype

-marked by abnormal motor behavior

-ranges from motionless rigidity to agitated, repetitive actions

-echolalia and echopraxia: repeating another person's speech or movements like a parrot

subtypes of schizophrenia

-paranoid

-catatonic

onset types of schizophrenia

-chronic (process)

-acute (reactive)

chronic (process)

-develops gradually, typically emerging by late adolescence or early adulthood

-symptoms worsen over time: psychotic episodes last longer, and periods of recovery become shorter

-social withdraws and persistent negative symptoms

-recovery is less common

-more frequently observed in men, who also tend to develop the disorder earlier and display more negative symptoms

acute (reactive)

-can begin at any age with rapid onset

-often triggered by a stressful or traumatic event

-symptoms tend to be dominated by positive symptoms that respond well to treatment

-recovery is more likely compared to chronic onset

brain abnormalities

-dopamine overactivity

-abnormal brain activity

-structural differences

-genetic connection

dopamine overactivity

-linked to positive symptoms

-antipsychotic drugs block dopamine

-stimulants can worsen symptoms

abnormal brain activity

-low activity in frontal lobes (planning, decision-making)

-overactive amygdala (emotional process, especially fear)

-increased thalamus activity during hallucinations (sensory relay center)

structural differences

-enlarged ventricles with surrounding tissue shrinkage

-reduced size in cortex, hippocampus, and corpus callosum

prenatal environment and risk factors

-complications during pregnancy and birth may increase

-the CDC recommends flu shots for pregnant women

-identical twins

prenatal identified risk factors of schizo

-low birth weight

-maternal diabetes

-older paternal age

-oxygen deprivation during delivery

-viral infections during pregnancy

chance of identical twins having schizo

-share a placenta = 60%

-separate placenta = 10%

genetic factors of schizophrenia

-risk increases with genetic closeness

-1 in 10 chance if a parent or sibling has schizo

-genetic influence affects brain development and chemistry

-heredity is a factor, but not the sole cause

environmental triggers

-stressful life events (trauma, abuse, loss) may trigger symptoms

-substance use (cannabis, amphetamines, hallucinogens) linked to psychosis

-social isolation and urban living increase risk

-childhood adversity (poverty, unstable family environments) contribute

-environmental factors interact with genetic/biological vulnerability