1. Paranoid psychosis
By: Camilla Firing
Bernard Prengel

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Thank you for your attention!
Sources:
uses4
Introduction.aspx