Types & Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Paranoid Disorganised Catatonic

Undifferentiated
Residual

Types & Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Paranoid Disorganised

Delusions, hallucinations, negative symptoms Aimless, disorganised behaviour; rambling, incoherent speech

Catatonic
Undifferentiated Residual

Motor abnormality unmoving strange posture or flailing limbs

So many symptoms cannot be categorised or not enough symptoms Symptoms present before but not now, however, negative symptoms now

Biological Explanation of Schizophrenia

Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson you will be able to: Describe the four biological explanations of schizophrenia. Evaluate these four explanations.

Biological Explanations
Who can name the four different biological explanations? Genetic factors Biochemical Factors Brain dysfunction Viral Infection

Genetic factors
Family Studies: Biological relatives (Gottesman) 1991 found Schizophrenia is more common in the biological relatives of a schizophrenic. The closer the degree of relatedness the greater risk what do we mean???? Identical twins, fraternal twins then children are the top three as they are closer related.

Genetic factors
Identical twins: Research has consistently shown identical twins have around 48% risk of developing schizophrenia if the other twin has. Fraternal twins: Only have a 17% chance Why because they share only 50% same genes (Janicak at al 2001).

Why is this? Because identical twins share 100% genes.

Genetic factors
Adoption studies: Kety et al 1988 found 14% of biological relatives of adoptees with schizophrenia were classified as schizophrenic, whereas only 2.7% of their adoptive relatives were found to be. Shows more emphasis on biological causes of schizophrenia.

Genetic factors
Insights from molecular biology Miyakawa et al (2003) created genetically modified schizophrenic mouse by switching off a specific gene in the brain responsible for making the chemical calcinerurin. Mice showed abnormalities e.g. social withdrawal mirrored behaviour of schizophrenic patients. Miyakawa et al (2003) studied DNA families with schizophrenia, found those who had it were more likely to have defective version of the gene.

Biochemical Factors
The dopamine hypothesis Dopamine = transmitter in the brain. Schizophrenics thought to have more D2 receptors therefore more dopamine binds to the receptors and cause more neurons to fire. Dopamine is linked to attention and may lead to problems with attention which is thought to be found in people with schizophrenia (Comer 2003)

Biochemical Factors
Evidence supporting dopamine hypothesis: Antipsychotic drugs 1950s identified Phenothiazines these drugs bind to the D2 receptors and block the transmission of nerve impulses therefore reducing the attentional deficit in schizophrenics.

Biochemical factors
Parkinson's Disease Low levels of dopamine activity are found in sufferers of Parkinson's disease (a degenerative neurological disorder). Parkinsons sufferers taking the drug L-dopa to raise their dopamine developed schizophrenic type symptoms (Grilly 2002)

Brain Dysfunction
Enlarged ventricles Brain imaging techniques have identified schizophrenics have enlarged ventricles (about 15% bigger than normal), cavities in the brain that supply nutrients and remove waste (Torrey 2002). Such individuals tend to display negative rather than positive symptoms and have greater cognitive disturbances and poorer response to traditional antipsychotic drugs (Bornstein et al 1992). Enlarged ventricles may be a result of poor brain development or tissue damage. These problems lead to the development of schizophrenia.

Brian Dysfunction
Specific Brain abnormalities: Meyer-Lindenberg et al 2002 examined brain activity in schizophrenics engaged on a working memory task. Their prefrontal cortex showed reduced activation, reflecting poor performance. Dopamine levels were elevated suggesting dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex is linked to dopamine abnormalities.

Viral Infections
Research has suggested schizophrenia is linked to exposure to viruses before birth.

Such viruses may remain dominant until puberty when hormonal changes activate the virus and cause schizophrenic symptoms (Gheradelli et al 2002).

Viral Infections
Evidence for viral theory: Significant number of people with schizophrenia are born during winter when virus exposure is high (Torrey 2000). Mothers of schizophrenia are more likely to be exposed to influenza virus during pregnancy (de Messias et al 2001).

Viral Infections
Evidence for viral theory: Identical twins research identified fingerprint abnormalities. Fingerprints develop in second trimester of pregnancy when the foetus is at more risk from viruses thus these abnormalities could indicate viral infection during this period causing them and predisposing them to schizophrenia (Comer 2003).

Biological Approach
Has much support Doesnt rule out psychological factors Current thinking is diathesis-stress relationship. Diathesis-stress relationship = there are biological predispositions (the diathesis) for Schizophrenia THAT only develops into the disorder if significant psychological stressors (stress) are present. (Gottesman and Riley), 2003