Schizophrenia Overview and Symptoms

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Questions and Answers

What is a common triggering factor for post-partum psychosis?

Increased physical activity

Genetic predisposition

Hormonal changes (correct)

Lack of support from friends

Which symptom is classified as a negative symptom of schizophrenia?

Disorganized thought

Speech disorder

Avolition (correct)

Hallucinations

What characterizes flat affect in individuals with schizophrenia?

An absence of facial expressions (correct)

Intense emotional expression

Exaggerated emotional reactions

Extreme mood swings

What aspect does the term 'poverty of speech' refer to in schizophrenia?

Short and difficult-to-understand utterances Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic symptom of catatonia?

Near total absence of movement Signup and view all the answers

How are negative symptoms defined in relation to neurotypical controls?

Loss of certain abilities Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with movement, motivation, and sensory integration?

Dopamine Signup and view all the answers

What effect do antipsychotic drugs have on dopamine activity?

Reduce dopamine activity Signup and view all the answers

According to the dopamine hypothesis, what happens when there is a depletion of dopamine?

Movement and motivation decrease or disappear Signup and view all the answers

What does the dopamine hypothesis suggest about the brain connectivity in individuals with schizophrenia?

There is too much connectivity between key brain areas Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a hallmark symptom of schizophrenia?

Psychosis Signup and view all the answers

What describes the typical onset patterns of schizophrenia?

Clients usually develop symptoms in their 20s or early 30s. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the nature of the diagnosis for schizophrenia?

High dysfunction and inability to maintain a routine are key diagnostic criteria. Signup and view all the answers

What is the common view of the impact of stressors on the onset of schizophrenia?

Stressors may trigger the onset of schizophrenia in predisposed individuals. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors has been implicated in the causes of schizophrenia?

Dopamine dysregulation Signup and view all the answers

What are positive symptoms in the context of schizophrenia?

Tendencies or abilities beyond normal functioning Signup and view all the answers

Which type of hallucination is most commonly experienced?

Auditory hallucinations Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a delusion of persecution?

Believing oneself to be followed or plotted against Signup and view all the answers

What is disorganized thinking often characterized by?

Jumping from topic to topic with loose associations Signup and view all the answers

How are hallucinations defined in the context of schizophrenia?

Sensory experiences without external stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic symptom of a delusion of control?

Feeling one's thoughts are influenced by external sources Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a common type of hallucination experienced?

Hearing someone call your name when alone Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of delusions as understood in psychological terms?

To explain discrepancies between one's own perceptions and others' Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Schizophrenia Overview

Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by psychosis (hallucinations and delusions) and a general decline in functioning.
It's sometimes called a "paradigm" mental illness, meaning it serves as a clear example of broader mental health concepts.
Patterns of schizophrenia include late, sudden, and permanent onset, with fluctuations in function and levels of impairment.
Treatment addresses symptoms, but there's no cure.

Schizophrenia Symptoms

Symptoms are broadly categorized into negative and positive symptoms.
Negative symptoms involve a decrease or absence of typical abilities and behaviors, such as reduced speech, flat affect (lack of emotional expression), avolition (lack of motivation), and social withdrawal.
Positive symptoms involve the addition of unusual or atypical experiences, such as hallucinations (sensory experiences without external stimuli) and delusions (strong beliefs not aligned with reality).
- Psychosis is an umbrella term encompassing these experiences.
  - Hallucinations encompass different senses like auditory (hearing voices), tactile (feeling things), etc.
  - Delusions include various types, such as delusions of persecution, reference, and grandeur
Disorganized thinking is another common feature where thoughts shift abruptly, making communication difficult to understand.
Psychomotor symptoms, unusual movement patterns or lack thereof (catatonia).
- Catatonia is a specific set of psychomotor symptoms characterized by a near total absence of movement.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Closely related conditions include brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, psychotic disorder due to another medical condition, and substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder.
- Each has similar, yet distinct, symptoms and duration.
Post-partum psychosis can occur in the weeks following childbirth and is suspected to be triggered by hormonal changes, stress, loneliness, and pressure to be a perfect mother.
Shared symptoms and possibly many diverse causes exist among schizophrenia spectrum disorders; including but not limited to severe depression, severe anxiety, and dissociation/PTSD.

Causes of Schizophrenia

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked to movement, motivation, sensory processing, and rewards.
The dopamine hypothesis proposes that schizophrenia results from either excess or insufficient dopamine activity, resulting in disrupted brain function.
- Antipsychotic drugs, for example, reduce dopamine activity to manage psychosis symptoms.
- Conversely, L-dopa drugs increase dopamine activity to treat Parkinson's disease, but excess can cause psychosis.
Recent research suggests that the connectivity among various brain areas may also play a crucial role in schizophrenia.

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Description

This quiz covers the key aspects of schizophrenia, a complex mental illness marked by psychosis, and examines its symptoms categorized into negative and positive types. Learn about how these symptoms affect functioning and the general treatment approaches, as there is currently no cure. Test your knowledge on this paradigm mental illness!