Chapter 13: Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

alogia

a term referring to the poverty of speech; a symptom that often occurs in schizophrenia

antipsychotics (neuroleptics)

medications that alleviate or diminish the intensity of psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions

attenuated psychosis syndrome

characterized by psychotic-like symptoms that are less severe and more transient and that lie below the threshold for a full psychotic disorder

avolition

refers to a psychological state that is characterized by a general lack of drive or motivation to pursue meaningful goals

blunted affect

a reduction in the range of affective expression commonly found in patients with schizophrenia; the difference between _____ and flat affect is one of degree; when the reduction in affective range is more pronounced and extreme (such that the person is almost expressionless), the patient may be said to have flat affect

brief psychotic disorder

brief episodes (lasting a month or less) of otherwise uncomplicated delusional thinking

candidate genes

genes that are of specific interest to researchers because they are thought to be involved in processes that are known to be aberrant in that disorder (e.g., serotonin transporter genes in depression, or dopamine receptor genes in schizophrenia)

cognitive remediation

training efforts designed to help patients improve their neurocognitive (e.g., memory, vigilance) skills; the hope is that this will also help improve patients’ overall levels of functioning

delusion

false belief about reality maintained in spite of string evidence to the contrary

delusional disorder

nurturing, giving voice to, and sometimes taking action on beliefs that are considered completely false by others

dopamine

neurotransmitter from the catecholamine family that is initially synthesized from tyrosine, an amino acid common in the diet; _____ is produced from L-DOPA by the enzyme _____ decarboxylase

endophenotypes

discrete, measurable traits that are thought to be linked to specific genes that might be important in schizophrenia or other mental disoders

expressed emotion (EE)

type of negative communication involving excessive criticism and emotional overinvolvement directed at a patient by family members

flat affect

the lack of emotional expression

genome-wide association study (GWAS)

this type of study allows researchers to scan the entire genomes of large numbers of individuals to search for genetic variants associated with specific diseases; DNA is usually obtained from blood or from cheek swab samples; the DNA is then placed on tiny chips and scanned on highly specialized automated machines; genetic variations in people with and without the disease or disorder are then compared

glutamate

an excitatory neurotransmitter that is widespread throughout the brain

hallucinations

false perceptions such as things seen or heard that are not real or present

negative symptoms

symptoms that reflect an absence or deficit in normal functions (e.g., blunted affect, social withdrawal)

positive symptoms

symptoms that are characterized by something being added to normal behavior or experience; includes delusions, hallucinations, motor agitation, and marked emotional turmoil

prodromal

considered to be an early (subclinical) stage of schizophrenia, characterized by very low-level symptoms or behavioral idiosyncrasies

psychosis

severe impairment in the ability to tell what is real and what is not real

schizoaffective disorder

form of psychotic disorder in which the symptoms of schizophrenia co-occur with symptoms of a mood disorder

schizophrenia

disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and behavior, as well as problems in self-care and general functioning

schizophreniform disorder

category of schizophrenic-like psychosis less than 6 months in duration