Mcat Behavioral Sciences (Chapter 7)

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schizophrenia diagnosis

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symptoms:

delusions

hallucinations

disorganized thought

disorganized behavior

catatonia

negative symptoms

diagnosis: at least two symptoms for six months, one must be delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech

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neologism

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when person with schizophrenia comes up with new words

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avolition

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negative symptom of schizophrenia; marked by decreased engagement in purposeful, goal-directed actions

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prodromal phase

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phase before symptomatic behavior phase; patient exemplifies deterioration, social withdrawal, role functioning impairment, peculiar behavior, innappropriate affect and unusual experiences

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major depressive episode

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two weeks with at least five of following symptoms:

prominent and persistent depressed mood

anhedonia

appetite disturbances

weight changes

sleep disturbances

decreased energy

feelings of worthlessness or guilt

difficulty concentrating/thinking

psychomotor symptoms ("slowed down")

thoughts of death or suicide attempt

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persistent depressive disorder

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given to individuals who suffer from dysthymia

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disthymia

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depressed mood (less than major depressive episode) that lasts at least two years

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bipolar I disorder

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manic episodes with or without major depressive episodes

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bipolar II disorder

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hypomania with at least one major depressive episode

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hypomania

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doesn't significantly impair functioning; no psychotic features; more energy and optimism

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cyclothymic disorder

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hypomanic episodes and periods of dysthymia

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monoamine or catecholamine theory of depression

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too much norepinephrine and serotonin in the synapse leads to mania, while too little leads to depression

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hyperthyroidism

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excessive levels of the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4); must be ruled out for all anxiety disorders

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dissociative amnesia

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inability to recall past experiences; no neurological basis; often experience dissociative fugue

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somatic symptom disorder

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at least one somatic symptom, which may or may not have a medical basis; way too much time and energy worrying about it

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illness anxiety disorder

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consumed with thoughts about having or developing a serious medical condition

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conversion disorder

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unexplained symptoms affecting voluntary motor or sensory functions

ex: paralysis or blindness without neurological damage

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la belle indifference

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person is unconcerned by symptom of conversion disorder

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ego-syntonic

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people with personality disorders perceive their behavior as correct, normal or in harmony with their goals

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ego-dystonic

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all disorders besides personality disorders; individual sees illness as thrust upon themselves that is intrusive and bothersome

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personality disorder cluster A

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paranoid

schizotypal

schizoid

"weird"

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personality disorder cluster B

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antisocial

borderline

histrionic

narcissistic

"wild"

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personality disorder cluster C

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avoidant

dependent

obsessive-compulsive

"worried"

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schizotypal personality disorder

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odd or eccentric thinking; ideas of reference (like delusions of reference but less severe); magical thinking

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splitting

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seen in borderline personality disorder; view others as all good or all bad

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histrionic personality disorder

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constant attention-seeking behavior

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biological markers of depression

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abnormally high glucose metabolism in the amygdala

hippocampal atrophy after long duration of illness

abnormally high levels of glucocorticoids (cortisol)

decreased norepinephrine

decreased serotonin

decreased dopamine

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biological markers of bipolar disorders

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increased norepinephrine

increased serotonin

higher risk if parent has bipolar disorder

higher risk for people with multiple sclerosis

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biological markers of Alzheimer's disease

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diffuse atrophy of the brain on CT or MRI;

flattened sulci in the cerebral cortex;

enlarged cerebral ventricles;

deficient blood flow in parietal lobes, which is correlated with cognitive decline;

reduction in levels of acetylcholine;

reduction in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme that produces acetylcholine;

reduced metabolism in temporal and parietal lobes;

senile plaques of beta-amyloid (a misfolded protein in beta-pleated sheet form);

neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein

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Parkinson's disease

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bradykinesia (slowness in movement)

resting tremor

pill-rolling tremor (rolling between fingers)

masklike facies

cogwheel rigidity (muscle tension)

shuffling gait

stooped posture

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biological markers of Parkinson's disease

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decreased dopamine production in substantia nigra

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substantia nigra

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layer of cells in brain that functions to produce dopamine to permit proper functioning of basal ganglia

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L-DOPA

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precursor converted to dopamine once in the brain; helps Parkinson's disease