Neurochemistry - Schizophrenia

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Learning about schizophrenia in cards...
Johanna Brinkmann
Flashcards by Johanna Brinkmann, updated more than 1 year ago
Johanna Brinkmann
Created by Johanna Brinkmann over 8 years ago
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What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia? 1. Agitation – increased irritability 2. Hallucination – in all five senses 3. Disorganized thinking – loss of ability to keep track of thoughts / conversations 4. Delusions – Illogical / Wrong beliefs due to inability to differentiate real / unreal
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia? 1. Lack of emotional response – in facial expression, monotone voice and eye contact 2. Social withdrawal or depression 3. Lack of initiative or drive (and self-care) 4. Apathy: Feeling of emptiness; unable to follow plans
What are cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia? 1. Difficulty concentrating 2. Difficulty in understanding and choice making 3. Inability to use learned information immediately
What causes are given for schizophrenia? (2) + examples 1. Genetic (first degree relative risk 6,5%, monozygotic twins 48%) 2. Environmental (living environment -> urban, isolated, traumatic biography; drug use -> cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines; prenatal stressors -> hypoxia, infection, stress, malnutrition)
What brain areas are most commonly involved in schizophrenia? Frontal lobes, hippocampus, temporal lobes
How are positive and negative symptoms caused in schizophrenia in regard to brain areas? Negative: Loss of neurons leads to hypofrontality / low mesocortical projection -> Damage to (esp. Dorsolateral pre-) frontal cortex (reduced gray matter) -> negative symptoms Positive: Same loss -> reduction of inhibition of dopamine release in ncl. Accumbens / high mesolimbic projection -> positive symptoms
What findings support a glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia? What doesn'? Clinical/Genetic: significantly low levels of glutamate receptors post mortem; poor performance on tests requiring frontal lobe / hippocampus function Psychoactive drugs, glutamate antagonists: effects that mimic some positive/negative/cognitive symptoms - but: Symptoms do not respond to glutamatergic medication
What is Phencyclidine? What is it used for? Why was it removed from the market? NMDA receptor antagonist; used as an anesthetic; removed due to long half-life and adverse side effects (hallucinations, mania, delirium...)
In the prefrontal cortex, there are 75% excitatory, glutamatergic neurons and 25% inhibitory, GABAergic neurons; how is their function out of balance in schizophrenia? Due to low NMDA receptor density, enough excitation is not monitored sufficently; thus inhibitory neurons are tricked into downregulating their inhibition -> excitation.
What is a prepulse inhibition (PPI)? How is it affected in Schizophrenia? neurological phenomenon; weaker prestimulus / prepulse inhibits the reaction to a subsequent stronger startling stimulus. PPI is lowered in Schizophrenia (startle response is stronger or disinhibited)
What conditions can appear like schizophrenia? 1. substance abuse can trigger psychotic symptoms (amphetamines, cocaine...) 2. same for medication (antihistamines, DXM...) 3. medical conditions I. Neurological disorders (epilepsy, brain tumors...) II. Depression / Bipolar disorder or PTSD (! very similar is possible via flashbacks or numbness)
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