Paranoid psychosis By: Camilla Firing Bernard Prengel

What is psychosis? Abnormal condition of the mind Psychiatric term → loss of contact with reality People are described as „psychotic“ Personality changes Thought disorders +- severe (unusual/bizarre behavior) Diagnosis of exclusion Difficulty with social interaction Difficulty in carrying out normal daily life

psychosis Important: laboratory test results should rule out central nervous system disorders (parkinsons d., Huntigtons d., brain cyst, HIV, tumor, syphilis) Psychoactive substances Toxins → before any diagnosis of psychosis is made

Psychosis Descritive term for: → hallucinations Delusions Sometimes Violence „deficits“ in normal behavior Delusional beliefs Paranoia Self ↔ others (grandiosity)

Psychosis Purpose of the brain → collect information form the environment (eg. Senses) Information goes to primary sensory area → process information Send it to secondary senory area for „interpretation“ Spontaneous activity of the primary center may produce eg. hallucinations etc. → secondary center misinterprets as info from real world

Neurobiology Psychosis → traditionally linked to dopamine „dopamine hypothesis of psychosis“ → results from overactivity of dopamine in the brain → especially mesolimbic system → dopamine D2 blocking drugs reduce symptoms → amphetamine + cocaine + (levodopa for parkinsonism) = increase symptoms

Neurobiology Also possible dysfunction in glutamate pathway → NMDA-receptors → in the limbic system Dopamine hypothesis oversimplified??? Large number of antipsychotics have a dopamine receptor antagonist effect

Thank you for your attention! Sources: http://www.healthline.com/health/psychosis#Ca uses4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Psychosis/Pages/ Introduction.aspx