PSY 230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Chlorpromazine, Psy, Longitudinal Study
2 Dec 2018
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Document Summary
Schizophrenia is caused by excessive da activity. This causes abnormal functioning of da- da-dependent brain systems, resulting in symptoms. Overdose of amphetamine (da agonist) can produce schizophrenia-like symptoms. Sz patients have abnormally large responses to low amphetamine doses. Symptoms can be treated with da antagonists (e. g. chlorpromazine). These are effective in 60% of cases with more impact on positive symptoms. Antipsychotics block dopamine rapidly but symptom relief takes several weeks. To be effective, antipsychotics must reduce dopamine activity to below normal levels. An inability to actively represent goal information (or context) in working memory needed to guide behavior. This deficit reflects impairments in the function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlpfc) Mothers of people who develop schizophrenia were more likely to have experienced problems before and during birth. Reduced supply of oxygen during delivery may result in loss of cortical matter. It is possible that pre- and perinatal problems interact with genetic factors.
