Schizophrenia Flashcards

Flashcards on Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder

Psychosis

A collection of symptoms with grossly impaired understanding of reality, including impaired reality-testing, hallucinations, delusions, and thought organizational difficulties.

Delusion

A fixed, false belief maintained despite contradictory reality or rational argument.

Hallucination

A false sensory perception of internal origin that occurs in the absence of an actual stimulus; can be auditory, visual, gustatory, olfactory, or tactile.

Loosening of associations (Flight of Ideas)

Shifting rapidly between topics with no clear connections.

Tangential thinking

Shifting rapidly between topics with connections but digressing from the main focus of conversation.

Circumstantial speech

Circuitous thinking that digresses from the main point but eventually leads back to the conversation focus.

Perseveration

Repeating the same things over and over again, especially when the conversation has moved on to other things.

Neologisms

Made-up words/phrases that only have meaning to the speaker.

Clanging

Use of rhyming words without meaning.

Echolalia

Purposeless repetition of words spoken by another person.

Disorganized Behavior

Unpredictable or inappropriate emotional or behavioral responses including posturing, mannerisms, stereotypy, facial grimacing, echopraxia, stupor or catalepsy, rigidity, and/or waxy flexibility.

Negative Symptoms

A 'removal' or withdrawal of normal everyday functioning, such as emotional responsiveness, spontaneous speech, and volition.

Positive Symptoms

An 'excess' of, or additional, symptoms or experiences.

Prodrome

The period before the active phase of psychosis where symptoms are not as prominent but a subtle decline in functioning is observed.

Active Phase

The phase where characteristic psychotic (positive) symptoms are more prominent, such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech or behaviors.

Recovery Phase

The phase where symptoms decrease in intensity and/or frequency, leading to improved coping and daily life functioning.

Schizoaffective Disorder

An uninterrupted duration of illness during which there is a major mood episode (mania, depressive, or mixed) in addition to criteria for schizophrenia.