neurochemical disorders

• Schizophrenia

  continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis
• Schizophrenia causes

  hereditary

  environmental

  • foetal or neonatal event
  • Hypoxia, infection, stress and malnutrition during pregnancy, Premature birth

  Childhood/adolescence events

  • Trauma
• Schizophrenia symptoms

  • gain of functions
  • Social withdrawal
  • Decreased emotional response
  • Loss of function
• Schizophrenia Brain

  • enlarged ventricles
  • reduced temporal lobe
  • Abnormal dendritic fields in the prefrontal area, hippocampus and entorhinal cortex
• Schizophrenia - neurochemical

  DOPAMINE

  • increased activity
  • Dopamine agonists produce psychotic symptoms

  GLUTAMATE

  • Dopamine antagonists poor at controlling negative symptoms
  • Reduced cortical glutamate
  • NMDA antagonists induce psychosis and exacerbate schizophrenia
• Schizophrenia treatments

  • D2 receptor antagonists
  • Psychological therapies
• DEPRESSION CAUSES

  • stress - disrupted HPA which controls production and release of hormones related to stress
  • over secretion of cortisol - high levels lead to death of neurones in hippocampus

  Seasonal:

  • Melatonin and dysregulation of biological rhythms
• Depression neurological changes

  anatomy - decreased hippocampus

  chemical - Reduced Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Reduced levels of serotonin and noradrenaline
• Depression treatments

  talking therapy

  life style changes

  antidepressants

  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
  • Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors