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Neurotransmitters and Schizophrenia - Coggle Diagram
Neurotransmitters
and Schizophrenia
Dopamine
Hypothesis
hyperdopaminergia
high levels of
dopamine in the
mesolimbic pathway
low levels of
beta hydroxylase
=normally breaks down
dopamine
excess dopamine
receptors at the synapses
hypersensitivity to
deopamine receptors
positive symptoms
hypodopaminergia
negative symptoms
low levels of dopamine in
mesocortical pathway
or: irregular serotonin
activity which
regulates dopamine levels
Evaluation
Strengths
antipsychotic
drugs typically work
by blocking dopamine
Carlsson
=schizophrenics
are more sensitive
to excess dopamine
using scanning
=amphetamites
drugs to treat parkinsons
increases dopamine
and can experience
dopamine like sympyoms
like hallucinations
explains positive and
negative symptoms
Weaknesses
Zipursky
=review article
=blocking dp doesnt
always remove
symptoms in those
who had it for 10+ years
=even with 90% effective block
amphetamites only
produces positive symptoms
=ignores negative symptoms
other NTS
=clozapine focuses on
serotonin
=blocked glutamate
production can cause
psychotic symptoms
reductionist
=brown and birley
=50% of schizophrenic
patients report
a major life
event 3 weeks
prior to relapse