3.3.2.2 Neural Correlations with Schizophrenia

Cards (7)

  • Abnormal levels of dopamine correlate with schizophrenia
  • Dopamine hypothesis originally only looked at hyperdopaminegia in schizophrenia
  • Hyperdopaminergia in the subcortex
    • eg Broca's Area
    • Suggests that too much dopamine is released
    • Leads to psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions
  • Hypodopaminergia in the cortex
    • eg prefrontal cortex = responsible for thinking
    • Suggests that there isn't enough dopamine being produced or released
    • Leads to negative symptoms like apathy and social withdrawal
  • Strength = Research Support
    • Tauscher et al (2014) = antipsychotic drugs that reduce DA activity, reduce intensity of Schz symptoms
    • Candidate genes act on production of DA or DA receptors
  • Weakness = Glutamate
    • McCutcheon et al (2020) = consistently found high levels of glutamate in brain regions of people with Schz = used post-mortem & live scanning
    • Challenges dopamine hypothesis
  • Weakness = Correlation is not Causation
    • Unusual brain activity correlates with symptoms
    • Another factor may be the cause