Dopamine hypothesis and neural correlates - schizophrenia

OCD recap: Which key terms are part of the neurochemical explanation?

(a)  

• High dopamine, Low serotonin
• Neuroanatomical: Basil ganglia, Caudate nucleus, Orbitofrontal cortex, Thalamus

The neurochemical explanation of OCD states that normal transmission of mood-related information is disrupted because of__________.

(a)  

• Low levels of serotonin
• High levels of serotonin

The neuroanatomical explanation of OCD states that sufferers show elevated activity in these areas of the brain compared to controls? (THERE ARE 3!)

• Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC

• Caudate nucleus

• Hippocampus

• Thamalus

Identify the parts of the synapse.

a

b

c

d

e

Triggers signal in post synaptic neuron

Action potential reaches axon terminal

Neurotranmitter crosses synapse

Neurotransmitter binds to receptors

Vesicles release neurotransmitter

Neurochemical explanation of schizophrenia:

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in initiating movement and has a major role in 1. __________ motivated behaviour, associated with the sensation of 2. __________.

• 1. reward / 2. happiness

• 1.pleasure /2. anger

• 1. reward / 2. pleasure

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that generally has an _____________ effect and is associated with the sensation of pleasure.

• pleasurable

• inhibitory

• excitatory

• calming

Unusually 1. _______ levels of dopamine are associated with schizophrenia, particularly the 2. __________ symptoms

• 1. low / 2. negative

• 1. high / 2. negative

• 1. high / 2. positive

• 1. low/ 2. negative

Messages from neurons that transmit dopamine fire too easily or too often in those with schizophrenia. Sufferers are thought to have abnormally high levels of D2 receptors on post-synaptic neurons, resulting in ________ dopamine binding and therefore _______neurons firing. ​

• MORE X2

• LESS X2

Dopamine Hypothesis:

Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) Pre-frontal cortex

,

(b) Broca’s area (sub-cortex)

• deficit (low levels)

  of dopamine

• May explain

  Negative symptoms

• excess of dopamine/

  dopamine receptors

• May explain

  Positive symptoms

Neural correlates are measurements of the _________ or function of the brain that occur in conjunction with (correlate with) the characteristic ________ of schizophrenia, and so may be implicated in the origins of schizophrenia.

• patterns

• symptoms

• structure

• brain