PSYC550Biological Bases of

BehaviorSchizophrenia, Mood, and

Anxiety

Schizophrenia

• seasonality effect– The increased incidence of schizophrenia

in people born during late winter and early spring.

• hypofrontality– Decreased activity of the prefrontal

cortex; believed to be responsible for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia

• chlorpromazine– A dopamine receptor blocker; a commonly

prescribed antischizophrenic drug.

• tardive dyskinesia– A movement disorder that can occur after

prolonged treatment with antipsychotic medication, characterized by involuntary movements of the face and neck.

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Major Affective Disorders

• lithium– A chemical element; lithium carbonate is

used to treat bipolar disorder.

• monoamine hypothesis– A hypothesis that states that depression is

caused by a low level of activity of one or more monoaminergic synapses.

• precursor (tryptophan) depletion/loading• Hyperthyroidism/Hypothyroidism

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Major Affective Disorders

• seasonal affective disorder– A mood disorder characterized by depression,

lethargy, sleep disturbances, and craving for carbohydrates during the winter season when days are short.

• summer depression– A mood disorder that occurs specifically in

the summer; characterized by depression, sleep disturbances, and loss of appetite.

• phototherapy– Treatment of seasonal affective disorder by

daily exposure to bright light.

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Anxiety Disorders

• obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)– A mental disorder characterized by

obsessions and compulsions.

• obsession– An unwanted thought or idea with which a

person is preoccupied.

• compulsion– The feeling that one is obliged to perform

a behavior, even if one prefers not to do so.

Anxiety Disorders

• Tourette’s syndrome– A neurological disorder characterized by

tics and involuntary vocalizations and sometimes by compulsive uttering of obscenities and repetition of the utterances of others.

• cingulotomy– The surgical destruction of the cingulum

bundle, which connects the prefrontal cortex with the limbic system; helps reduce intense anxiety and the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Which of the following medical conditions is

well-known for mimicking Anxiety?

Hyp

erth

yroid

ism

Gout

Kid

ney D

ysfu

nctio

n

B6

Defic

ienc

y

25% 25%25%25%1. Hyperthyroidis

m2. Gout3. Kidney

Dysfunction4. B6 Deficiency

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Which of the following is the most worrisome side

effect of classical antipsychotics?

Hyp

ersa

livat

ion

Ser

otonin

Syn

drom

e

Sed

atio

n

Tar

dive

Dyske

nesia

25% 25%25%25%

1. Hypersalivation2. Serotonin

Syndrome3. Sedation4. Tardive

Dyskenesia

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Questions? Thoughts?