NRNP 6635 FINAL EXAM – SCHIZOPHRENIA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

NRNP 6635 FINAL EXAM –
SCHIZOPHRENIA QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS

avfpsychologicalvfdisordervfcharacterizedvfbyvfdelusions,vfhallucinations,vfdisorganizedvfs
peech,vfand/orvfdiminishedvfinappropriatevfemotionalvfexpression.vf-vfanswer--
Schizophrenia

Thevfsignsvfandvfsymptomsvfofvfschizophreniavfarevftraditionallyvfseparatedvfintovf2vfgroup
s:vfpositivevf(delusions,vfhallucinations,vfandvfdisorganizedvfspeechvforvfbehavior)vfandvfn
egativevf(flatvfaffect,vfavolition,vfanhedonia,vfpoorvfattention,vfandvfalogia).vf-vfanswer--
signsvfandvfsymptomsvfofvfschizophrenia

avfdeclinevfinvfbothvfcognitivevfandvfsocialvffunctioningvfthatvfoftenvfprecedesvfthevfdevelop
mentvfofvffloridvfpsychosis.vf-vfanswer--Schizophreniavfisvfassociatedvfwith

Thevfexactvfetiologyvfofvfschizophreniavfisvfunknown,vfalthoughvfitvfisvfthoughtvftovfbevflinked
vftovfanvfincreasevfinvfdopaminergicvfactivity.

Novfsinglevfetiologicalvffactorvfisvfresponsiblevfforvfschizophrenia.vf-vfanswer--
EtiologyvfofvfSchizophrenia

Treatmentvfincludesvfantipsychoticsvfinvfconjunctionvfwithvfbehavioralvftherapy.vf-
vfanswer--Treatment vfofvfSchizophrenia



Schizophreniavfisvfavfchronicvfseriousvfmentalvfdisordervfcharacterizedvfbyvflossvfofvfcontac
tvfwithvfrealityvfandvfmanifestedvfbyvftwovfmainvfsymptoms:vfhallucinationsvfandvfdelusions.
vf-vfanswer--Schizophrenia vfdefinition



Menvfandvfwomenvfarevfequallyvfaffected,vfbutvfwithvfavfslightvfdifferencevfinvfthevfagevfofvfon
setMen:vfaveragevfagevfofvfonsetvf=vf23vfyearsvfWomen:vfaveragevfagevfofvfonsetvf=vf26vfye
arsvf-vfanswer--onsetvfofvfschizophrenia

Thevfdisordervfmanifestsvfwhenvfavfpersonvfwithvfavfgeneticvfpredispositionvfisvfexposedvftov
fonevfofvfmanyvfenvironmentalvfstressors.

-vfgeneticvfpredisposition
-vfenvironmentalvfstressorsvf-vfanswer--Etiologicalvffactorsvfofvfschizophrenia

Environmentalvfstressorsvfarevfbelievedvftovfbevftriggersvfofvfschizophreniavfrathervfthanvftr
uevfcausesvfofvfthevfdisorder.
-Childhoodvftrauma
-vfResidencevfinvfanvfurbanvfarea
-vfSocialvfisolation
-Frequentvfcannabisvfusevfinvfearlyvfadolescencevf
-vfMigration

, -vfPoverty
-vfStressvfandvfpsychosocialvffactors
-vfBirthvfinvflatevfwintervforvfearlyvfspring
-Advancedvfpaternalvfagevfatvfconceptionvf-vfanswer--
EnvironmentalvfStressorsvfofvfSchizophrenia

Geneticvfandvfenvironmentalvfriskvffactorsvfappearvftovfactvfviavfavfcommonvfpathway
vfofvfdisruptingvfthevffunctionvfofvf1vforvfmorevfneurotransmittervfcomponents.

Dopaminergicvftheory:vfAlmostvfallvfdrugsvfwithvfantipsychoticvfpropertiesvfblockvfthevfdop
aminergicvfD2vfreceptor.
However,vfantipsychoticsvfarevfonlyvf70%vfeffectivevfandvfclozapine,vfthevfmostvfeffectivevf
antipsychoticvfforvftreatingvfschizophrenia,vfisvfavfweakvfD2vfantagonist.
HyperactivityvfofvfdopaminevfD2vfreceptorvfneurotransmissionvfinvfsubcortical,vfandvflimbi
cvfbrainvfregionsvfcontributevftovfthevfpositivevfsymptomsvfofvfschizophrenia.vfHypovffunctio
nalityvfofvfdopaminevfD1vfreceptorvfneurotransmissionvfinvfthevfprefrontalvfcortexvfcontribut
esvftovfbothvfnegativevfandvfcognitivevfsymptoms.vf-vfanswer--
Pathophysiologyvfofvfschizophreniavfpartvf1

Othervftheories:
HypofunctionvfofvfthevfN-methyl-D-
aspartatevf(NMDA)vfglutamatevfreceptor.vfDysfunctionalvfgamma-amino-
butyricvfacidvf(GABA)vfinterneurons.
Dysfunctionalvfnicotinicvfacetylcholinevfreceptors.vf-vfanswer--
Pathophysiologyvfofvfschizophreniavfpartvf2

Patientsvfwithvfschizophreniavfalsovfhavevfphysicalvfabnormalitiesvfofvfthevfbrainvftissue,vfw
hichvfcanvfbevfseenvfinvfneuroimagingvfstudies.

Lossvfofvfcorticalvftissuevfvolume,vfincludingvfthevflimbicvfsystem,vfprefrontalvfcortex,vfthala
mus,vfhippocampus,vfandvfamygdala.
Ventricularvfenlargementvf(thirdvfandvflateral).
Decreasedvfsymmetry.
Hypoactivityvfofvfthevffrontalvflobesvfandvfhyperactivityvfofvfthevfbasalvfganglia.vf-vfanswer--
Physicalvfabnormalitiesvfofvfthevfbrainvfinvfschizophrenia

Impairmentvfofvfthoughtsvfandvfaffect,vfcharacterizedvfbyvfavfdistortedvfperceptionvfofvfrealit
y.
Thevfimpairmentsvfarevfseverevfenoughvftovfaffectvfthevfpatient'svfabilityvftovfparticipatevfinvf
socialvfeventsvforvftovfformvfrelationships.
Patientsvfwithvfschizophreniavfoftenvflackvfawarenessvfaboutvftheirvfillnessvf(insight).
Co-
existingvfsubstancevfusevfdisordervfandvfdependencevfisvfcommonvf("dualvfdiagnosis").
Symptomsvfcanvfbevfclassifiedvfintovfpremorbid,vfpositive,vfnegative,vfandvfcognitive.vf-
vfanswer--ClinicalvfPresentationvfofvfschizophrenia



Easyvftovfrecognize.
Delusions:
1.vfFalse,vffixedvfbeliefsvfmaintainedvfbyvfthevfpatientvfdespitevfbeingvfcontradictedvfbyvfreal
ityvforvflogicalvfarguments.