Category 7A
Psychological Disorders (PSY) ad Nervous System Disorders
Approaches to Treating disorders:
Biomedical approach = Focuses on purely biological factors and nothing else. think pharmaceuticals and
getting rid of symptoms.
Biopsychosocial approach = takes into account biology (genetics/biomedical disturbances), psychology
(emotions/thoughts), and sociology (environment/society). More holistic.
Nervous System Disorders:
Schizophrenia
Characterization
● 6 months of continuous disturbance
Symptoms
● Positive symptoms (added to normal behavior) ex. Delusions or hallucinations
● Negative symptoms (absence of normal behavior) ex. Emotional flattening, blunting
Biological cause
● The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia
o Excessive dopamine leads to schizophrenia
● Genetics or trauma at birth
Treatment
● Neuroleptics/ Antipsychotics = block dopamine receptors
Alzheimer’s Disease
Characterization
● Type of dementia
Symptoms
● memory loss, disorientation, and problems with abstract thought
Biological cause
● Genetics
● Formation of beta-amyloid plaques
● Formation of neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein
Parkinson’s Disease
Characterization
● disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement
Symptoms
● resting tremor, slow movement, shuffling gait, pill-rolling tremor
Biological cause
● Decreased dopamine production in substantia nigra (in basal ganglia)
Treatment
● L-DOPA = precursor converted to dopamine in brain
Depressive Disorders:
Major Depressive Disorder
Characterization
● 2 weeks of 5 depressive symptoms
Symptoms
● SIG E. CAPS
o S = Sleep change, I = Interest loss, G = guilt, E = energy loss, C= concentration loss, A=
appetite change, P = psychomotor symptoms, S= suicidal thoughts
Biological Cause (same for all depressive disorders)
● Monoamine theory of depression
o Not enough catecholamines (serotonin, norepinephrine and/or dopamine) in synapse
can lead to depression
● Hippocampal atrophy
● High levels of cortisol
Persistent depressive disorder
Characterization
● Depressed mood for at least 2 years
Symptoms
● Long lasting major depressive episodes
● dysthymia (less severe than major depressive disorder and lasts long)
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Characterization
● Seasonal major depressive disorder
o Ex. Only depressed during winter
Symptoms
● Same as major depressive disorder but only seasonal
Bipolar and related disorders:
Bipolar I Disorder
Characterization
● 1 week Manic (abnormal elevated mood/psychotic features) and maybe depressed
Symptoms
● MAY OR MAY NOT have major depressive episode
● Manic episodes
Biological cause (same for all bipolar disorders)
● Monoamine theory of depression
o Too much catecholamines (serotonin, norepinephrine and/or dopamine) in synapse can
lead to mania
● Genetics
● Multiple sclerosis increases risk
Bipolar II Disorder
Characterization
● Hypomanic and at least one major depressive episode
Symptoms
● Hypomania (energetic/optimistic) aka mania w/o psychotic features
● At least one major depressive episode
Anxiety Disorders:
Generalized anxiety disorder
Characterization
● Worrying about a lot of different things for 6 months
Symptoms
● Sleep problems, muscle tension, fatigue. Basically how you feel studying for the MCAT 😊
Specific Phobias
Characterization
● Irrational fear of something ex. Arachnophobia (fear of spiders)
Symptoms
● Anxiety
Social Anxiety Disorder
Characterization
● Anxiety due to social situations ex. Fear of public speaking
Symptoms
● Fear of social/ performance situations
● Anxiety
Agoraphobia
Characterization
● Fear of places/situations that make you feel trapped or unable to escape
Symptoms
● Fear, anxiety
Panic Disorder
Characterization
● Repeated panic attacks
Symptoms
● Panic attacks (Fear, sweating, hyperventilation, unreality)
Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders:
OCD
Characterization
● Obsessions (persistent, intrusive thoughts/impulses) and compulsions (repetitive tasks)
Symptoms
● Obsessions raise stress level and compulsions relieve them
Body Dysmorphic disorder
Characterization
● Person sees themselves or a specific body part as unattractive or horrific even if it’s normal
Symptoms
● Unrealistic negative evaluations of self
Trauma and Stressor- Related Disorders:
PTSD
Characterization
● Occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event
Symptoms
● Intrusion = reliving event
● Avoidance = avoid memories
● Negative cognitive = can’t recall event properly, negative mood or emotions
● Arousal = easily startled, irritable, anxious
Acute stress disorders
Characterization
● Same as PTSD but lasts less than a month
Dissociative Disorders:
Generally characterized by
● Avoidance of stress by escaping from one’s identity but has intact sense of reality
Summary of types
● Dissociative Amnesia = inability to recall past experiences due to trauma
● Dissociative identity disorder = multiple personalities due to trauma
● Depersonalization/Derealization disorder = feeling detached from body and mind or
surroundings
Somatic Symptom and related disorders:
Somatic symptom disorder
Characterization
● Excessive concern about an actual somatic symptom
Symptoms
● Anxiety
● At least one somatic symptom
Illness Anxiety Disorder
Characterization
● Excessive concerns about having or developing a serious medical condition without actually
having any illness
Symptoms
● Anxiety
Conversion Disorder
Characterization
● Unexplained symptoms involving motor or sensory functions that appear after a traumatic event
o Ex. Woman going blind after seeing son die
Symptoms
● Affects motor or sensory functions
Personality Disorders:
Cluster A – Weird (PSS)
Characterization
● Behavior is odd or eccentric
Types
● Paranoid personality = suspicion and distrust
● Schizotypal personality = odd, eccentric
● Schizoid personality = detached, limited emotional expression
Cluster B – Wild (NAH “B” you wild)
Characterization
● Behavior that is dramatic, emotional, or erratic
Types
● Antisocial personality = disregard for and violation of others rights, deceitful, aggressive
● Borderline personality = instability in interpersonal behavior, intense, and unstable
● Histrionic personality = attention-seeking
● Narcissistic personality = grandiose sense of self
Cluster C – Worried (AOD)
Characterization
● Behavior is anxious and fearful
Types
● Avoidant personality = extreme shyness and fear of rejection (desires social affection)
● Dependent personality = neediness
● OCPD = perfectionist, desires rules and order
OTHER DISORDERS:
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Characterization
● frequent and persistent pattern of anger for 6 months
Symptoms
● angry/irritable, defiant/argumentative, spiteful
