Biological Explanations of Schizophrenia
- Created by: caitlinnpage
- Created on: 31-05-16 12:42
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Biological Explanations
- Genetic Factors
- Family Studies
- individuals are found who are investigated if their biological relatives are similarly affective.
- Schizphrenia is more common among biological relatives of a person with schizophrenia, closer the degree of genetic relatedness, the greater the risk.
- Children with two schizophrenic parents have a concordance rate of 46%
- Twin Studies
- Offer researchers to discover the evironmental and genetic value.
- Concordance rate for monozygotic twins of 40.4% with schizophrenia - for dizygotic twins 7.4%.
- methodologically sound studies have reported a lower concordance rate for monozygotic twins yet it is still argued that these support the genetic position.
- Adoption Studies
- Tienari in Finland founfd of 164 adoptees whos biological mothers were diagnosed with schizophrenia 11 also recieved a diagnosis compared to 4 out of 197 control adoptees.
- Investigators concluded that these findings showed that the genetic liability to schizophrenia had been decisiviely confirmed.
- Dopamine Hypothesis
- Dopamine is one of many neurotransmitters that operates in the brain that states the messages from neurons rhat transmit dopamine fire too easily or too often.
- Schizphrenics are likely to have abnormally high numbers of D2 Receptiors. Resulting in more dopamine binding and more neurons firing.
- Dopamine neurons are key in guiding attention.
- Key role by dopamine in schizophrenia was highlighted in three sources of evidence
- Amphetamines
- dopamine agonist, stiulating nerve cells containgng dopamine. Causing the synapse to be flooded with this neurotransmitter.
- Large doses can cause the characteristic hallucinations and delusions of a schizophrenic episode.
- Antipsychotic Drugs
- All antipsychotics have blocking the activity og dopamine in…
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