Psychoses

Psychoses

1. Nature

   • Unable to distinguish reality from illusion
     • May be seen as medically & legally incompetent.
   • Signs:
     • Delusions
       • Hallucinations
         • Illusions
           • Disorganized behavior
             • Difficulty relating to others
               • Paranoia
   • Causes:
     • TBI
       • Medication overdose
         • Chronic alcoholism/drug addiction
           • Extreme depression
             • Bipolar disorder
               • Alzheimer's disease
                 • Schizophrenia
   • Usually cannot function w/out long-term drug therapy.

2. Schizophrenia

   • Characterized by abnormal thoughts, thought processes, disordered communication, and withdrawal from others.
   • High risk for suicide.
   • Positive symptoms add on to normal behavior
     • Hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thought/speech
   • Negative symptoms subtract from normal behavior.
     • Lack of interest, motivation, responsiveness, or pleasure in daily activities.
       • Characteristic of the indifferent personality of many schizophrenics.
   • Causes:
     • Genetics
       • Overactive dopaminergic pathways in basal nuclei.
         • Dopamine type 2 receptors are rich in the basal nuclei.
           • Areas of frontal cortex are filled w/subcortical circuits contingent on dopamine levels.

3. Schizoaffective disorder

   • Schizophrenia + mood disorder.
   • Both positive and negative symptoms are present.
   • Conditions that can look like this:
     • Chronic amphetamine or cocaine use.
       • Brain neoplasms
         • Infections.
           • Hemorrhage