PS 371: Psychopathology - Biological Perspectives

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the PS 371 lecture on Psychopathology, focusing on historical and contemporary biological perspectives, genetics, neuroanatomy, neurotransmitters, and therapeutic strategies.

Genotype

A person's genetic make-up.

Allele

One of two or more alternate forms of a gene that arise by mutation, found at same place on a chromosome.

Phenotype

Observable physical or behavioral characteristics.

Heritability

The proportion of variation between individuals in a given population believed to be due to genetic variation.

Disease model

A historical perspective stating that each disorder has an underlying cause.

Emil Kraepelin

Developed the first formal system for classifying mental health disorders in 1883, assuming each disorder had a different cluster of symptoms, age of onset, course, and cause.

Genome-wide associated studies (GWAS)

A major strategy to study genetic influences that identifies specific genetic markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms).

Genetic linkage analyses

A major strategy to study genetic influences that examines unique traits with known genetic coding as potential markers for a disorder.

Twin studies

A major strategy to study genetic influences that compares identical versus fraternal twins to assess genetic contributions.

Adoption studies

A major strategy to study genetic influences that examines twins or individuals reared apart from biological parents to separate genetic and environmental factors.

Family study method

A major strategy to study genetic influences that examines the expression of traits among relatives as a function of their degree of relatedness.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE)

A genetic marker, where an increase in ApoE-4 alleles is associated with an increased risk and decreased age of onset for Alzheimer's disease.

Common Disease / Common Variant (CDCV)

One of two primary models for Genome-wide associated studies (GWAS).

Multiple Rare Variant (MRV)

One of two primary models for Genome-wide associated studies (GWAS).

Concordance (in twin studies)

The likelihood that both twins in a pair will have the same trait or disorder.

Brain stem

One of the three primary subdivisions of the human brain, including the hind brain, mid-brain, and diencephalon.

Sub-cortical (brain region)

One of the three primary subdivisions of the human brain, including structures like the basal ganglia and limbic system.

Cortical (brain region)

One of the three primary subdivisions of the human brain, referring to the cerebral cortex.

Hind brain

Part of the brain stem involved in physiological arousal and control of posture, balance, and movement; includes the pons, medulla, and cerebellum.

Mid-brain (Reticular Activating System)

Part of the brain stem involved in arousal and the experience of tension.

Diencephalon

Part of the brain stem, including the thalamus and hypothalamus, involved in behavioral and emotional regulation.

Basal ganglia

Sub-cortical structures (like the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus) relevant to complex motor behavior, memory, emotional expression, cognition, impulse control, sex, aggression, hunger, and thirst.

Limbic system

Sub-cortical structures (like the amygdala and hippocampus) relevant to complex motor behavior, memory, emotional expression, cognition, impulse control, sex, aggression, hunger, and thirst.

Cerebral cortex

Comprises over 80% of all neurons in the central nervous system, divided into left and right hemispheres, each with specialized functions.

Left hemisphere

The part of the cerebral cortex primarily associated with linguistic and analytic functions.

Right hemisphere

The part of the cerebral cortex primarily associated with spatial and holistic functions.

Occipital lobe

Part of the cerebral cortex responsible for the processing and integration of visual input.

Parietal lobe

Part of the cerebral cortex responsible for touch recognition and body sensation.

Temporal lobe

Part of the cerebral cortex responsible for the recognition of sights and sounds, aspects of language processing and expression, and long-term memory storage.

Frontal lobe

Part of the cerebral cortex responsible for reasoning, planning, thinking/problem solving, moral/social judgment, aspects of memory, inhibition of inappropriate behavior, and mental flexibility.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that transmit signals across a synapse, with over 100 recognized types, including serotonin, GABA, norepinephrine, and dopamine which are highly associated with psychopathology.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that influences behavior, mood, and thought; low levels are associated with reduced inhibition, impulsivity, a tendency to overreact, and aggression.

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)

A neurotransmitter that reduces post-synaptic activity, inhibiting a wide range of behaviors and emotions, and is best known for its anxiety-reducing effects.

Norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter best known for its effects on arousal; its release is increased by stress and it likely acts as a general behavioral regulator.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter associated with exploratory, outgoing, and pleasure-seeking behaviors; it influences attention, mood, motivation, and plays a key role in muscle movement.

Neuroleptics (reserpine)

Early biological therapies introduced in the 1950s that modify the presence or effect of brain chemistry by increasing or decreasing neurotransmitter activity.

Agonists

Drugs that mimic the action of a neurotransmitter at receptor sites, thereby increasing the neurotransmitter's effect.

Antagonists

Drugs that decrease or block the action of a neurotransmitter at receptor sites, thereby decreasing the neurotransmitter's effect.

Atypical (drug mechanism)

Refers to drugs with complex mechanisms of action and effect, often used in contemporary drug therapy.

Diathesis-Stress model

An integrative conceptual model where an inherited physiological vulnerability (diathesis) interacts with stress to influence the risk for the expression of a disorder.

Reciprocal Gene-Environment model

A dynamic integrative conceptual model that suggests genetically-coded traits can increase or decrease the probability of an individual encountering stressful experiences.