Diagnosis
3 types of delusion
Persecutory, grandiose, delusion
Aim
to investigate whether participants without a history of mental illness have thoughts of a persecutory nature in VR
to investigate whether there are cognitive or emotional factors that predict the likelihood of persecutory ideation being shown in VR
3 ways of investigating the genetic explanation of schizophrenia
family studies, twin studies, adoption studies
How does antipsychotics work?
They block dopamine receptors so there is less dopamine activity
A false belief that one is being targeted, harassed, or plotted against by others.
Persecutory delusion
Sample
12 M & 12 F
From University College London
Average age 26 yo
No history of mental illness
What is the dopamine hypothesis for people with schizophrenia
The brains of people with schizophrenia produce more dopamine
Side effects of typical and atypical antipsychotics
Typical: extrapyramidal symptoms (EPSs) & tardive dyskenesia (TD)
Atypical: Weight gain, drowsiness, difficulties in concentration
Difference between positive and negative symptoms
Positive symptoms refer to excessive or distorted behaviours, while negative symptoms refer to a decrease or loss of normal functions
Types of questionnaires given
Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI), questionnaire to measure anxiety & paranoia, sense of presence, and specific ideation of persecution
What are the findings from Gottesman (1991) about the twin studies
The likelihood of developing schizo if you have an identical twin that is being diagnosed is 48%
Concordance of schizo is higher in MZ twins than DZ twins
CBT helps individuals to recognise/identify and challenging the thoughts that underlie their behaviour
Difference between delusion and hallucination
Delusions are false beliefs that a person firmly holds, while hallucinations are false sensory experiences, such as hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there.
What increases the reliability of this research?
The VR program allows for a standardised approach to assesment
What are the result from the drug trial regarding dopamine and schizophrenia?
Large increases in dopamine production are correlated with an increase in the reporting of hallucinations and delusions
How does ECT work?
By passing electricity through the brain with the intention of inducing a seizure
Before diagnosing schizophrenia, two conditions must be met
The symptoms must persist for at least one month, and must not be better explained by substance use, medical conditions, or other mental disorders,
What control is being used to increase the validity of this research?
Half the participants completed the questionnaire both before & after the VR
How does Frith (2015) use cognitive explanation to describe schizophrenia?
Abnormality of self-monitoring, when patients fail to recognize that their perceived hallucinations are just inner speech
What are 3 advantages of atypical antipsychotics compared to typical antipsychotics
Atypical antipsychotics reduce both negative and positive symptoms
Have a lower risk of side effect
Only block dopamine activity for a short period (rapidly dissociate), allows normal dopamine transmission to take place