Abnormal Psychology Chapter 12 Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder

What are common symptoms associated with schizophrenia spectrum?

• psychosis (impaired sense of reality)

• impaired cognitive processes

• unusual/disorganized movements

• uncommon behaviors affecting social interaction

What are the 5 subtypes of schizophrenia (that aren’t used as descriptors any more)?

• paranoid

• catatonic

• disorganized

• undifferentiated

• residual

What are the 4 categories of symptoms for schizophrenia spectrum disorder?

• positive

• cognitive

• psychomotor abnormalities

• negative

What are positive symptoms?

Added sensations

What are some examples of positive symptoms?

• Delusions

• Hallucinations

What are delusions?

false beliefs, with no evidence to believe they are real

What are some common themes for delusions?

• grandeur (famous/powerful)

• control (other “things” control them)

• thought broadcasting (other ppl can hear thoughts)

• persecution (they think others are plotting against them or that they will go to jail)

• reference (they are the center of attention)

• thought withdrawal (others are removing their thoughts)

What are examples of hallucinations seen in schizophrenia?

• hearing (usually voices)

• seeing

• tasting (rarer)

• smelling (rarer)

• touch (rarer)

What are examples of cognitive symptoms?

• Disordered thinking (cognitive slippage)

• disorganized communication/ speech

What is cognitive slippage?

• changing topics randomly

• speaking in an unintelligible manner

What is disorganized communication?

no apparent logical or meaningful connection between thoughts

What are examples of psychomotor abnormalities?

• catatonia (extremes in activity level, movement, postures, or gestures)

• Withdrawal catatonia (extreme unresponsiveness)

• excited catatonia (hyperactive, disorganized behaviors)

What are negative symptoms?

deficits in normal human functioning. actions that are lost/diminished from person’s life.

What are some examples of negative symptoms?

• avolition (major apathy)

• alogia (lack of meaningful speech)

• asociality (decreased interest in socializing)

• anhedonia (decreased ability to feel pleasure)

• diminished emotional expression (facial expressions, voice intonation, gestures)

Do people mostly exhibit positive or negative symptoms?

negative

What are some criteria to be diagnosed (at least two must be present for a diagnosis to be made)?

• delusions

• hallucinations

• disorganized speech

• gross motor disturbances

• neg symptoms

• *must be a decrease from the previous level of functioning

What are the three phases of schizophrenia?

• prodromal

• active phase

• residual phase

What are signs the prodromal phase has started?

• onset/ build-up of symptoms

• neglecting grooming

• social withdrawal

• peculiar behaviors

What are signs the active phase has started?

full blown symptoms

What are signs the residual phase has started?

• symptoms not prominant

• mild impairment

What is the biological dimension for schizophrenia?

• GENETICS are important

• gene interaction (many genes)

• closer blood relationship are at elevated risk of developing symptoms

Changes in neurostructures?

• gray matter lost in some areas

• decreased volume of cortex and ventricle enlargements

• ineffective communication between different brain regions

What is the dopamine hypothesis?

excess dopamine activity. This hypothesis is supported by a decrease of symptoms if phenothiazine, L-dopa, or amphetamines) are taken

What is the psychological dimension for schizophrenia?

• lowered empathy

• theory of mind (recognize others have emotions, beliefs, desires)

• low motivation

What is the social dimension for schizophrenia?

• dysfunctional family patters

• maltreatment during childhood (etc)

• bulling

What is the sociocultural dimension for schizophrenia?

• ethnic differences in rates of illness

• unemployment

• immigrants

• lower education level

How do western countries explain psychotic symptoms?

using biological, social or nonspecific explanations

How do non-western countries explain psychotic symptoms?

supernatural explanations

What are some treatments for schizophrenia?

• Antipsychotic meds

• holistic treatments (meds, CBT, cognitive enhancement therapy)

What are the two groups of antipsychotic meds?

• 1st gen antipsychotics:

• atypical antipsychotics

What are the differences between 1st generation and atypical antipsychotics?

• have the same level of effectiveness

• Both lead to improvement or no improvement at all

• 1st generation meds are cheaper

• Atypical meds have fewer side effects

• 1st gen meds can cause movement type symptoms (dystonia, tremors, shakiness, muscle rigidity)

• * Because of the many side effects, many people stop taking meds