Exam 10: Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

A couple comes into your office seeking advice on whether or not they should adopt a specific child. The biological mother of the child has schizophrenia and is thus unable to care for him. The couple would like to know the chances that the child will develop the disorder. Neither of the prospective parents has a history of mental illness. Use the results from the Finland study that is presented in your text to explain the potential risks to the couple.

"See the sun, Bobby run, lobby, slobby hobo." This statement is an example of

The onset of schizophrenia tends to occur later in life for women than for men.

James, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, believes he is being controlled by others through a radio that has been inserted into his brain. James is exhibiting which type of symptoms?

"Dementia praecox" is a term used to describe the dementia found among the elderly who suffer from schizophrenic disorder.

About 90% of people continue to have hallucinations despite receiving antipsychotic medication.

Programs that are designed to educate patients and family members about a specific mental disorder in order to help alleviate stress and identify positive coping skills are called

Describe the three symptom categories of schizophrenia and provide at least two examples of symptoms falling into each category.

MRI studies have shown that enlarged ventricles and decreased gray matter are present before the onset of schizophrenia, which means that these abnormal brain structures are not caused by the disorder.

Julie's younger sister died suddenly from an undiagnosed heart defect. The next day, Julie fell into a trance-like state. Two days later, Julie became reanimated and began experiencing auditory hallucinations. Concerned for her well-being, Julie's family took her to the local hospital. After a week of inpatient care, Julie started acting like her old self again. Given this information, Julie's diagnosis would be

One positive symptom of schizophrenia is:

Except for the length of the disorder and the degree of functional impairment, ____________ and schizophrenia have the same symptomatology.

Persons diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder might be considered to have both schizophrenia and a depressive disorder.

Of the following schizophrenia subtypes, which is characterized by only negative symptoms or previous positive symptoms that have lessened in severity or frequency?

Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia

Typical antipsychotics are an effective means of managing the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and have no serious side effects.

The three symptom categories in schizophrenia are

In the movie Bug, Agnes becomes involved with a drifter named Peter. Agnes soon learns that Peter believes he has been infected with bugs as part of a secret government experiment. As the movie progresses, the couple becomes increasingly isolated and Agnes becomes convinced that Peter has infected her as well. The couple's behavior quickly spirals out of control and their mental states deteriorate. Assuming there was no government experiment and no such bugs, given this information, a doctor would most likely diagnose Agnes with

While a person's genetic makeup may contribute to the development of schizophrenia, it is not the only cause. A Finnish research study discussed in the text examined a national sample of children who were adopted away at birth. Children born to mothers with schizophrenia were compared with others who were born to mothers without the disorder. The results of this study demonstrate that a child's ____________ is a contributing factor in the development of the disorder.

The____________ hypothesis is a theory that attempts to explain how drugs and/or alcohol can be used in an attempt to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia.