Biological explanations

• What are the biological explanations

  • Genetic vulnerability
  • the role of the neurotransmitter - dopamine
  • neural correlates
• What candidate genes are related to schizophrenia

  • COMT
  • DRD4
• Define polygenic

  There are a number of genes that can increase the risk of developing the illness
• Define aetiologically heterogeneous

  Different combinations of these genes can lead to schizophrenia in different people
• What type of studies are used to show genetic vulnerability

  • Twin studies
  • adoption studies
• What twin study shows genetic vulnerability

  Gottesman
• What adoption study shows genetic vulnerability

  Tienari et al
• Explain Gottesmans study

  Found that MZ twins had a concordance rate of 48% for the trait schizophrenia where as DZ twins was only 17%
• Explain Tienari et als study

  • Found that 6.7% of children’s who’s mothers were schizophrenic developed the condition
  • only 2% of adopted children that’s mothers weren’t schizophrenic developed the condition
• What is it called when there is too much dopamine

  Hyperdopaminergia
• What is it called when there is too little dopamine

  Hypodopaminergia
• How is dopamine related to schizophrenia

  Dopamine is believed to be involved with schizophrenia because it is featured in the functioning of brain systems related to schizophrenia
• What can hyperdopaminergia do

  High levels of dopamine in the central areas of the brain are associated with hallucinations and speech poverty
• What can hypodopaminergia do

  Can affect thinking and decision making
• Define neural correlates

  Abnormalities within different brain areas have a relationship with symptoms of schizophrenia
• Which study is used to support neural correlates

  Tilo et al
• Explain Tilo et als study

  • Gave fMRIs to 6 schizophrenic patients and 6 non-schizophrenics whilst having them speak about a picture
  • they found that the schizophrenics thoughts were negatively correlated with the Wernickes area, which is a part of the brain related to the production of speech
• What is a limitation of genetic vulnerability

  • The findings from Gottesmans twin study do not fully support the role of genes
  • as the concordance rate for the MZ twins weren’t 100% it means that schizophrenia cannot be inherited by genetics alone
  • the higher concordance rate between MZ twins suggests that they have a greater environmental similarity rather than genetic similarity
• What studies support genetic vulnerability

  • Gottesman
  • tienari et al
• What study supports neural correlates - evaluation

  Tilo et al