Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders - biological theories

3 important questions on Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders - biological theories

Why is the original dopamine theory now proved to be too simple?

  • Many people with schizophrenia do not respond to phenothiazines
    • if they respond: more relief positive symptoms than negative symptoms
  • levels of dopamine change soon after start of medication, changes in symptoms take longer
    • dopamine levels not only determinant

Which other neurotransmittors play an important role in schizophrenia?

  • Serotinin neurons
    • regulate dopamine neurons in mesolimbic system
    • some of the newest drugs bind to serotonin receptors
  • glutamate and GABA
    • widespread in the brain
    • deficiencies: cognitive and emotional symptoms
    • glutamate: excitatory pathways
      • drugs that block glutamate receptors cause hallucinations and delusions in healthy individuals

What is social drift?

Schizophrenia symptoms interfere with a persons ability to complete an education and hold a job, this results in people with schizophrenia to drift downward in a social class compared to the class of their family or origin
  • chronically stressfull circumstances

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