Specification details: Schizophrenia Pages 201-204 of Year 2 book Specification details: Biological explanations for schizophrenia: genetics, the dopamine hypothesis and neural correlates.

Biological explanations for schizophrenia The biological explanation for schizophrenia is the dominant one and has received the greatest empirical support This approach sees mental disorders as having physical causes A number of biological explanations for schizophrenia have emerged: The role of the neurotransmitter dopamine Genetic vulnerability Neural correlates

Lets remind ourselves how neurotransmitters work 1 5 2 4 3

Lets remind ourselves how neurotransmitters work

DOPAMINE HYPOTHESIS

DOPAMINE HYPOTHESIS The Dopamine hypothesis states that the brain of schizophrenic patients produces more dopamine than normal brains. Evidence for this comes from studies with drugs post mortems pet scans

Dopamine Hypothesis Although the original Dopamine Hypothesis states that the brain of schizophrenic patients produces more dopamine than the brain of a “normal” person. It is now thought that schizophrenics have an abnormally high number of D2 receptors.

Lowering DA activity helps remove the symptoms of schizophrenia Elevated Level of Dopamine In The Brain of a Schizophrenic Patient (specifically the D2 receptor) Normal Level of Dopamine In The Human Brain Neurons that use the transmitter ‘dopamine’ fire too often and transmit too many messages. There may be an excess of DA receptors at the synapse in schizophrenics Lowering DA activity helps remove the symptoms of schizophrenia

ROLE OF DRUGS Amphetamines (agonists) lead to increase in DA levels Large quantities lead to delusions and hallucinations If these drugs are given to schizophrenic patients their symptoms get worse

Rats given amphetamines developed schizophrenia type symptoms Randrup et al Rats given amphetamines developed schizophrenia type symptoms

Parkinson’s disease Parkinson’s sufferers have low levels of dopamine L-dopa raises DA activity People with Parkinson's develop schizophrenic symptoms if they take too much L-dopa Chlorphromazine (given to schizophrenics) reduces the symptoms by blocking D2 receptors

What is a strength and weakness of a post- Post-mortems Seidman (1990) Post-mortem (after death) examinations have found that people with schizophrenia have a larger than usual number of dopamine receptors. Increase of DA in brain structures and receptor density (left amygdala and caudate nucleus putamen) Concluded that DA production is abnormal for schizophrenia What is a strength and weakness of a post- mortem study?

PET SCANS Lindstroem et al (1999) Radioactively labelled a chemical L-Dopa administered to 10 patients with schizophrenia and 10 with no diagnosis L-Dopa taken up quicker with schizophrenic patients Suggests they were producing more DA than the control group

PET Scans What is the main strength of a PET scan? Gjedde and Wong (1987) There are more than twice as many dopamine receptors in schizophrenics compared to controls. Farde et al. (1990) There is no difference in the number of dopamine receptors between schizophrenics and controls. What is the main strength of a PET scan? What conclusions can be drawn from the research findings?

Schizophrenia or Faulty Chemicals? Which Came First? Chickens hatch from eggs, but a mother chicken must keep an egg warm in order for it to hatch The Chicken or the Egg? Schizophrenia or Faulty Chemicals? Faulty chemicals cause schizophrenia but schizophrenia may cause faulty chemicals Drugs may influence other systems that impact on schizophrenia so we cannot be 100% sure about their effects

There are lots of problems with the dopamine hypothesis! Read your handout carefully – highlight strengths vs weaknesses. Brain handout p 248-250

Other EVALUATION POINTS There is a lack of correspondence between taking phenothiazines and signs of clinical effectiveness. It takes 4 weeks to see any sign that the drugs are working when they begin to block dopamine immediately. We cannot seem to explain this time difference. It could be that the development of receptors in one part of the brain may inhibit their development in another. Type 1 cases respond well to conventional anti-psychotic drugs. Drugs such as CHLOPROMAZINE: Only effective at relieving the Positive Symptoms of the Illness. Not good at explaining negative symptoms. Therefore suggested that Type 2 is related to a different kind of abnormality such as brain structure. PET scans have suggested that drugs did not reduce symptoms of patients diagnosed with disorder for 10 yrs or more There may be other neurotransmitters involved. Possible that social and environmental factors trigger the condition.

Essay Plan Discuss the dopamine hypothesis as a suitable explanation for the cause of schizophrenia • You must comment on how the evidence you use supports or challenges the DA hypothesis. • You should comment on evidence both for and against the hypothesis. • You could use your own skills and knowledge to make additional critical and evaluative points.