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Paper 1
Psychological problems
The biological theory of schizophrenia
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GCSE > Psychology > Paper 1 > Psychological problems > The biological theory of schizophrenia
5 cards
Cards (26)
-
Nature
-
Deterministic
-
Reductionist
Many biological psychologists agree that there is a
genetic basis
to this particular mental health problem.
If there is a
gene
for SZ then it is possible that it goes on to affect the
brains
of people who are
diagnosed
with it.
Dopamine
A
neurotransmitter
linked to
movement
,
perception
,
attention
and
mood
Too much dopamine can lead to
erratic movements
,
hallucinations
and
delusions
Dopaminergic neurons
transmit
dopamine
Fire
too
easily
or too
often
Too much dopamine
Can lead to many of the symptoms of Schizophrenia (SZ)
D2 receptors
Receptors
on certain neurons that bind
dopamine
People with SZ seem to have an
unusually high number of dopamine
(
D2
)
receptors
on certain neurons
High number of dopamine (D2) receptors
Results in
more dopamine binding
and therefore
more neurons firing across synapses
More neurons firing across
synapses
When
scanned
An individual with SZ
brain
will look
different
to a
healthy
individual
Blood flow is
lower
in the
pre-frontal cortex
Pre-frontal cortex
is
less frequently activated
when certain tasks are carried out
Appears to be
defective
in SZ
Pre-frontal cortex
Acts as the
control centre
of the brain
This defective
pre-frontal cortex
may explain why these individuals
lose control
over their
psychological functioning
Temporal
lobes are also
lower
in volume
Hippocampus
Has a role in
formation
of
memories
and the
emotions
that go with them
Hippocampus
is
smaller
in volume in people with SZ
The more severe the disorder
The
more delegated
the
hippocampus
is
Some of this
neurological damage
in people with SZ may occur
before
they are born
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