neural correlates : dopamine hypothesis

• What does the term neural correlates suggest about schizophrenia?

  It suggests brain abnormalities cause schizophrenia.
• What is the dopamine hypothesis in relation to schizophrenia?

  Dopamine neurotransmitters function differently in schizophrenia.
• Why is dopamine important in schizophrenia?

  It is linked to several brain systems' functions.
• What does hyperdopaminergia refer to in schizophrenia?

  High levels of dopamine in the subcortex.
• What was suggested by the original version of the dopamine hypothesis?

  High dopamine activity causes schizophrenia symptoms.
• How do high levels of dopamine receptors affect neurons?

  They cause neurons to fire too often and easily.
• What symptoms might excess dopamine receptors in Broca's area cause?

  Poverty of speech and auditory hallucinations.
• What does hypodopaminergia refer to?

  Low levels of dopamine in the pre-frontal cortex.
• What role does the pre-frontal cortex play in schizophrenia?

  It is responsible for thinking and decision making.
• What does the combination of hyper- and hypodopaminergia suggest?

  Both high and low dopamine levels are involved.
• What is a strength of the dopamine hypothesis?

  Supporting evidence from drug treatments for schizophrenia.
• What did Leucht et al. (2013) analyze in their study?

  Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs versus placebo.
• What did Leucht et al. find about antipsychotic drugs?

  They were more effective than placebo treatments.
• What does the effectiveness of newer antipsychotic drugs suggest?

  Other neurotransmitters may also be involved.
• Why is the dopamine hypothesis considered too simplistic?

  It overlooks the role of other neurotransmitters.