PMCOL 200 - Psychosis Exam
Latest Update
psychotic disorders - Answer a range of mental disorders that all involve symptoms of
psychosis
Psychosis - Answer loss of contact with reality, affecting a persons ability to think, feel,
and act.
Most people with psychosis are aware of and distressed by their experiences
Schizophrenia - Answer a severe psychotic disorder that is diagnosed if a person has 2
or more of the following symptom types for 6 months:
-positive symptoms
-negative symptoms
-mood symptoms
-disorganized symptoms
-cognitive deficits.
What are the 3 biochemical theories of schizophrenia? - Answer 1 - Dopamine
Hypothesis (excess)
2 - Reduced serotonin
3 - Reduced glutamate or GABA
What support do we have for the dopamine hypothesis? - Answer Psychotic symptoms
can be developed by drugs that stimulate DA activity in non-schizophrenic persons.
Psychotic symptoms can be decreased with drugs that block DA receptors.
What drugs typically work by blocking dopamine (DA) receptors? - Answer FGAs: First
Generation Antipsychotic drugs (typical)
What drugs typically work by blocking 5HT receptors - Answer SGAs: Second
Generation Antipsychotic drugs (atypical)
What support do we have for the reduced serotonin hypothesis? - Answer Hallucinogens
such as lysergic acid (LSD) are 5-HT2 agonists.
What support do we have for the reduced glutamate or GABA hypothesis? - Answer
, Phencyclidine (PCP), a potent glutamate receptor inhibitor, can mimic not only the
positive, but also the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
What three brain systems does dopamine act on? - Answer 1 - Mesolimbic/Mesocortical
2 - Tuberoinfundibular
3 - Nigrostriatal System
What does the Mesolimbic/Mesocortical system do? What happens if it is disturbed? -
Answer memory, learning, affect, and thought organization.
Disturbances in this pathway contribute to psychotic symptoms
What does the Tuberoinfundibular system do? - Answer secretion of some pituitary
hormones, particularly prolactin and growth hormone.
What does the Nigrostriatal System do? - Answer Involved in tardive dyskinesis and the
Parkinson-like side effects seen after chronic use of antipsychotic drugs.
What happens in the mesolimbic/mesocortical pathway in untreated schizophrenia? -
Answer The mesolimbic/mesocortical pathway is overactive and produces an excess
amount of dopamine
What happens in the mesolimbic/mesocortical pathway in treated schizophrenia? -
Answer The postsynaptic DA receptors are blocked, and even though there is still
overproduction, there are no symptoms of schizophrenia
What are the 2 main types of DA receptors? - Answer 1 - D1 - stimulates adenylate
cyclase (Gs)
2 - D2 - inhibits adenylate cyclase
Which DA receptor is most useful for treating psychosis? - Answer D2
If one of the causes of schizophrenia is not having enough serotonin, why do 5HT2A
antagonists help reduce the POSITIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - Answer Because
5-HT2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex stimulate glutamate release in the mesolimbic
pathway.
This glutamate positively modulates the release of dopamine in this area which
increases psychosis.
If you block the 5-HT2A receptors, you indirectly decrease DA (and symptoms of
psychosis)
How do 5HT2A antagonists help reduce the NEGATIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? -
Answer Blocking 5HT2A receptors stops 5HT from inhibiting dopamine release, so that
dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex can get back up to normal.
Latest Update
psychotic disorders - Answer a range of mental disorders that all involve symptoms of
psychosis
Psychosis - Answer loss of contact with reality, affecting a persons ability to think, feel,
and act.
Most people with psychosis are aware of and distressed by their experiences
Schizophrenia - Answer a severe psychotic disorder that is diagnosed if a person has 2
or more of the following symptom types for 6 months:
-positive symptoms
-negative symptoms
-mood symptoms
-disorganized symptoms
-cognitive deficits.
What are the 3 biochemical theories of schizophrenia? - Answer 1 - Dopamine
Hypothesis (excess)
2 - Reduced serotonin
3 - Reduced glutamate or GABA
What support do we have for the dopamine hypothesis? - Answer Psychotic symptoms
can be developed by drugs that stimulate DA activity in non-schizophrenic persons.
Psychotic symptoms can be decreased with drugs that block DA receptors.
What drugs typically work by blocking dopamine (DA) receptors? - Answer FGAs: First
Generation Antipsychotic drugs (typical)
What drugs typically work by blocking 5HT receptors - Answer SGAs: Second
Generation Antipsychotic drugs (atypical)
What support do we have for the reduced serotonin hypothesis? - Answer Hallucinogens
such as lysergic acid (LSD) are 5-HT2 agonists.
What support do we have for the reduced glutamate or GABA hypothesis? - Answer
, Phencyclidine (PCP), a potent glutamate receptor inhibitor, can mimic not only the
positive, but also the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
What three brain systems does dopamine act on? - Answer 1 - Mesolimbic/Mesocortical
2 - Tuberoinfundibular
3 - Nigrostriatal System
What does the Mesolimbic/Mesocortical system do? What happens if it is disturbed? -
Answer memory, learning, affect, and thought organization.
Disturbances in this pathway contribute to psychotic symptoms
What does the Tuberoinfundibular system do? - Answer secretion of some pituitary
hormones, particularly prolactin and growth hormone.
What does the Nigrostriatal System do? - Answer Involved in tardive dyskinesis and the
Parkinson-like side effects seen after chronic use of antipsychotic drugs.
What happens in the mesolimbic/mesocortical pathway in untreated schizophrenia? -
Answer The mesolimbic/mesocortical pathway is overactive and produces an excess
amount of dopamine
What happens in the mesolimbic/mesocortical pathway in treated schizophrenia? -
Answer The postsynaptic DA receptors are blocked, and even though there is still
overproduction, there are no symptoms of schizophrenia
What are the 2 main types of DA receptors? - Answer 1 - D1 - stimulates adenylate
cyclase (Gs)
2 - D2 - inhibits adenylate cyclase
Which DA receptor is most useful for treating psychosis? - Answer D2
If one of the causes of schizophrenia is not having enough serotonin, why do 5HT2A
antagonists help reduce the POSITIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - Answer Because
5-HT2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex stimulate glutamate release in the mesolimbic
pathway.
This glutamate positively modulates the release of dopamine in this area which
increases psychosis.
If you block the 5-HT2A receptors, you indirectly decrease DA (and symptoms of
psychosis)
How do 5HT2A antagonists help reduce the NEGATIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? -
Answer Blocking 5HT2A receptors stops 5HT from inhibiting dopamine release, so that
dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex can get back up to normal.
