Abnormal Psychology and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Lecture Flashcards

These flashcards cover fundamental concepts, historical contexts, and diagnostic criteria for various psychological and neurodevelopmental disorders based on the lecture transcript.

Psychopathology

The study of abnormal cognition, behavior and experiences which differs according to social norms and rests upon constructs deemed to be the social norm at any particular era.

Psychological Disorder (DSM-5)

Behavioral, psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with present distress and impairment in functioning, or increased risk of suffering, death, pain, or impairment.

Presenting Problem

A traditional shorthand way of indicating why the person came to the clinic.

Prevalence

How many people in the population as a whole have a specific disorder.

Incidence

Statistics on how many new cases occur during a given period, such as a year.

Course

The pattern of development and change of a disorder over time, which may be chronic, episodic, or time-limited.

Prognosis

The anticipated course of a disorder.

Etiology

The study of origins, focusing on why a disorder begins and including biological, psychological, and social dimensions.

Emotion Contagion

The phenomenon in which the experience of an emotion seems to spread to those around us, often observed in mass hysteria.

Humoral Theory of Disorders

Hippocrates' assumption that normal brain functioning was related to four bodily fluids: blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm.

Sanguine (Temperament)

Associated with the element Air and qualities of being hot and moist; characterized as courageous, hopeful, and amorous.

Choleric (Temperament)

Associated with the element Fire and qualities of being hot and dry; characterized as short-tempered and ambitious.

Melancholic (Temperament)

Associated with the element Earth and qualities of being cold and dry; characterized as introspective and sentimental.

Phlegmatic (Temperament)

Associated with the element Water and qualities of being cold and moist; characterized as calm and unemotional.

Advanced Syphilis

A sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterial microorganism entering the brain, resulting in behavioral and cognitive symptoms.

John P. Gray

The most influential American psychiatrist of his time and champion of the biological tradition in the United States.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Discovered accidentally by Benjamin Franklin in the $1750$s, where a mild electric shock to the head produced a brief convulsion and memory loss.

Moral Therapy

A psychological tradition tenet of treating institutionalized patients as normally as possible in a setting that reinforced normal social interaction.

Dorothea Dix

Leader of the "Mental Hygiene Movement" who campaigned for reform in the treatment of insanity to improve standards of care.

One-Dimensional Model

An approach that attempts to trace the origins of behavior to a single cause, such as physical abnormality or conditioning.

Systemic

Derived from the word "system," implying that any influence contributing to psychopathology cannot be considered out of context.

Genes

Units of heredity that maintain their structural identity from one generation to another, acting as strands on chromosomes.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Contains the genetic instruction of organisms.

RNA (ribonucleic acid)

Serves as the link between DNA and the synthesis of protein products during translation.

Dominant Gene

A gene that shows a strong effect in either homozygous or heterozygous conditions.

Recessive Gene

A gene that shows its effect in the homozygous condition only.

Diathesis-Stress Model

A model proposing that individuals inherit a predisposition (diathesis) and that the disorder develops when combined with environmental stressors.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Consists of the brain and the spinal cord.

Somatic Nervous System

Consists of axons conveying messages from the sense organs to the CNS and from the CNS to the muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System

Part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the heart, intestines, and other organs.

Major Depressive Disorder

A state where people feel sad and helpless most of the day, every day, for weeks at a time.

Bipolar Disorder

Formerly known as manic-depressive disorder, where individuals alternate between the poles of depression and mania.

Bipolar 1

A disorder characterized by alternating between manic and depressive episodes, with mania lasting at least $1$ week.

Bipolar 2

A disorder characterized by alternating between hypomanic and depressive episodes, with hypomania lasting at least $4$ days.

Cyclothymic Disorder

A condition where hypomania and depression symptoms last for at least $2$ years.

Hallucinations

False perceptions.

Delusions

False beliefs.

Avolition

A negative symptom of psychotic disorders involving a lack of initiation and persistence.

Affective Flattening

A negative symptom involving a lack of emotional expression.

Alogia

A negative symptom characterized by relative absence of speech.

Anhedonia

A negative symptom characterized by a lack of pleasure.

Asociality

A negative symptom characterized by a lack of interest in social interactions.

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Positive symptoms lasting for at least $1$ day but not more than $1$ month, with no negative symptoms.

Schizophreniform

Positive and negative symptoms of psychosis lasting for at least $1$ month but not more than $6$ months.

Schizophrenia

Positive and negative symptoms of psychosis lasting for $6$ months or more.

Schizoaffective Disorder

Mania or depression concurrent with psychotic episodes, featuring delusions or hallucinations for $2$ or more weeks without a major mood episode.

Stupor

A catatonic symptom involving decreased response to external stimuli and hypoactive behavior.

Mutism

A catatonic symptom involving being verbally unresponsive or refusing to speak.

Echolalia

A catatonic symptom involving senseless repetition of the words of others.

Echopraxia

A catatonic symptom involving mimicking the movements of others.

Catalepsy

A catatonic symptom characterized by the passive adoption of a posture.

Prepared Learning

An evolutionary concept suggesting we are highly prepared to learn about certain objects or situations that contribute to species survival.

Implicit Memory

Memory apparent when someone acts on the basis of past events but cannot remember those events.

Flight or Fight response

An alarm reaction that activates during potentially life-threatening emergencies.

The Principle of Equifinality

A concept indicating that we must consider a number of paths to a given outcome in developmental psychopathology.

Clinical Assessment

The systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible disorder.

Reliability

The degree to which a measurement is consistent.

Validity

The degree to which something measures what it is designed to measure.

Standardization

The process of determining a set of standards or norms for a technique to ensure consistent use across measurements.

Mental Status Exam (MSE)

Systematic observation of behavior including appearance, thought process, mood, affect, intellectual functioning, and sensorium.

Sensorium

The individual’s general awareness of the surroundings (orientation to time, place, and person).

Projective Tests

Methods using ambiguous stimuli, such as pictures, where individuals are asked to describe what they see.

Idiographic Strategy

A strategy used to determine what is unique about an individual’s personality, cultural background, or circumstances.

Nomothetic Strategy

A strategy used to determine a general class of problems to which a specific presenting problem belongs.

Taxonomy

The classification of entities for scientific purposes.

Nosology

The application of a taxonomic system to psychological or medical phenomena.

Nomenclature

The names or labels of the disorders that make up a nosology.

Intellectual Disability

A disorder with onset during the developmental period that includes both intellectual and adaptive functioning deficits.

Global Developmental Delay

A diagnosis reserved for individuals under age $5$ when clinical severity cannot be reliably assessed via standardized testing.

Speech

The expressive production of sounds, including articulation, fluency, voice, and resonance quality.

Language

The form, function, and use of a conventional system of symbols (spoken, signed, or written) in a rule-governed manner.

Communication

Any verbal or nonverbal behavior that influences the behavior, ideas, or attitudes of another individual.

Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder

Commonly known as stuttering, it involves disturbances in the normal fluency and time patterning of speech.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts, plus restricted, repetitive behavior patterns.

Fragile X Syndrome

A genetic condition involving a fragile site on the X chromosome, associated with ASD, intellectual disability, and distinct facial features.

Inattention (ADHD)

Difficulty concentrating, staying focused, and organizing tasks.

Hyperactivity (ADHD)

Excessive movement, restlessness, and difficulty sitting still.

Impulsivity (ADHD)

Acting without thinking, difficulty waiting for a turn, and interrupting others.

Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

A neurodevelopmental disorder affecting the ability to learn and use specific academic skills like reading, writing, or math.

Dyslexia

A specific learning disorder in which the person has difficulty with reading.

Dysgraphia

A specific learning disorder in which the person has difficulty with writing.

Tic

A sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization.

Tourette's Disorder

A condition where both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics have been present at some time during the illness.

Anxiety

A negative mood state characterized by bodily symptoms of physical tension and apprehension about the future.

Fear

An immediate alarm reaction to danger.

Panic Attack

An abrupt experience of intense fear or acute discomfort accompanied by physical symptoms like heart palpitations and chest pain.

GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)

A neurotransmitter whose depleted levels are associated with increased anxiety.

Agoraphobia

Marked fear or anxiety about situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable, such as using public transportation or open spaces.

Eustress

A positive type of stress.

Trauma

A disturbing experience resulting in significant fear, helplessness, or dissociation, enough to have a long-lasting negative effect.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A disturbance resulting from exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, lasting more than $1$ month.

Prolonged Grief Disorder

A persistent grief response characterized by intense yearning or preoccupation with a deceased person for at least $12$ months after the death.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

One or more somatic symptoms that are distressing or result in significant disruption of daily life, paired with excessive thoughts or anxiety about health.

Illness Anxiety Disorder

Preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, where somatic symptoms are not present or are only mild.

Conversion Disorder

Also known as Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder, involving symptoms of altered voluntary motor or sensory function incompatible with medical conditions.

Factitious Disorder

Falsification of physical or psychological signs or symptoms, or induction of injury or disease, associated with identified deception.

Malingering

The intentional feigning of illness motivated by external incentives such as drugs, litigation, or avoiding work.

Obsessions

Intrusive, persistent, and uncontrollable thoughts or urges.

Compulsions

Impulses to repeat certain behaviors or mental acts to avoid distress or reduce anxiety.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Preoccupation with an imagined or exaggerated defect in appearance.