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Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia. Psychosis involves loss of contact with reality, symptoms include: 1) Disorganized and deluded thinking 2) Disturbed perceptions (hallucinations) 3) Inappropriate emotions and actions. Schizophrenia. Delusions: false beliefs not based on reality
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Schizophrenia Psychosis involves loss of contact with reality, symptoms include: 1) Disorganized and deluded thinking 2) Disturbed perceptions (hallucinations) 3) Inappropriate emotions and actions
Schizophrenia Delusions: false beliefs not based on reality Hallucinations: perceptions in the absence of sensory stimulation, often hearing non existent voices
Schizophrenia • Positive symptoms: talk is disorganized and deluded, emotional expression (e.g., laughter, tears, or rage) is often inappropriate • Negative symptoms: toneless voices, expressionless faces (flat affect), or mute and rigid bodies
Schizophrenia • Chronic (process) develops gradually • Acute (reactive) develops rapidly in response to particular life stresses
Schizophrenia Biological observations include: • Increased receptors for dopamine • Frontal lobe underactivity • Enlarged ventricles (less cerebral tissue) Biological causes implicate: • Genetic predisposition • Mid-pregnancy viral infection of the fetus
Genetic Risk • General: 1% • Siblings: 8% • Fraternal Twins 18% • Identical Twins 48% • Parent 13% • Both parents 45%
Schizophrenia • Relapse frequency is related to stress and to double-bind situations. • Treatment: • Drugs that decrease dopamine (chlorpromazine, clozapine) • Skills training, family support • Tardive dyskenisia can be a side effect of chlorpromazine