abnormal psych lecture 4

what are the divisions of the nervous system?

the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, and parasympathetic nervous system

what are the roles of the central nervous system (CNS)?

control center for processing info and signaling, functions and targets its neurochemistry to treat disorders

what are the roles of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?

allows us to feel physiological symptoms like racing heart or butterfiles

the ANS is further divided into what?

sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system

how does a neuron work to transmit signals?

through electrical impulses that move down the axon to terminal buttons

why are transmitting neuron signals important for psychopathology?

psychopharmacology works by impacting these neuron signals, either by blocking reuptake or mimicking them to alleviate symptoms

what is a agonist?

binds to receptors to stimulate or “turn on” signaling

what is a antagonist?

binds receptors to block the neurotransmitters from acting

what is a neuromodulator?

chemicals that balance the release or effectiveness of other neurotransmitters

what drug therapy matches with GABA?

anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs)

what disorders are treated with drugs targeting GABA?

anxiety disorders and fear based conditons

what drug therapy goes with dopamine?

antipsychotics

what does antipsychotics do?

dampens overactive signaling

what disorders area treated with drugs targeting dopamine?

schizophrenia

what drug therapy goes with serotonin?

SSRIs

what does SSRIs do?

blocking reuptake to keep more serotonin in the synapse

what disorders area treated with drugs targeting serotonin?

depression

what is epidemiology?

the study of new cases (incidence) and total cases (prevalence) of disorders in a population

what is a genotype?

the actual genetic makeup or DNA sequence

what is a phenotype?

the observable trait or expression of those genes

what is a allele?

a variant form of a gene

what is a proband?

the reference person or “index case” in a genetic study

what is concordance?

the rate at which relatives share the same trait (twins)

what is incidence?

refers to the number of new cases that appear in a population during a specfic period

what is prevalence?

refers to the total number of cases (both old and new) present in a population at given time

what is the epidemiologic catchment area (ECA) study?

study designed to collect data on the prevalence of specific mental disorders

what is national co-morbidity survey? (NCS)

study about when an individual has more than one disorder at the same time

why do we relay on the ECA and NCS’s data for infomation?

standardized data, representative samples, informing treatment, identifying vulnerabilities

what is the biopsychsocial approach?

viewing a person holistically by examining the interaction of biological, psychological, and social systems

how was the biopsychosocial approach developed?

it was developed by george engel in 1977

what type of info are used in the biopsychosocial model?

genetics, temperament/personality traits, and family relationships

what is diathesis-stress?

genetic vulnerability (diathesis) combined with environmental life events (stressors) to trigger a disorder

what is equalifinality?

different causes can lead to the same outcome

what is an example of equalifinality?

various genetic or environmental paths leading to autism

what is multifinality?

one risk factor can lead to many different outcomes

what is example of multifinality?

childhood abuse leading to either PTSD, depression, or conduct disorder

what are the degrees of relatives?

levels of shared genetic heritage between family members

what are first degree relatives?

sharing 50% of their genes (parents, siblings, and children)

what is second degree relatives?

sharing 25% of their genes (grandparents, half-siblings, aunts/uncles)

what is third degree relatives?

sharing 12.5% of their genes (first cousins, great-grandparents)

what is the transactional approach?

the idea relationships are reciprocal and represent a continuous process

what is developmental trajectory?

psychological disorder have a developmental history and evolve across different stages of the lifespan

what is holism?

looks at the “whole person” and the dynamic interaction of multiple systems

what is reductionism?

reduces complex human problems to their smallest physical parts

why is holism preferred over reductionist models?

biology is only “part of the story” and environmental or behavioral factors are equally critical for recovery