Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 42: Phenyl Group, Cortisol, Catecholamine

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Dr.Mike

Document Summary

Our understanding of the cause of schizophrenia very limited. We have a limited understanding on how the limited mental functions occur. These areas have to do with cognitive and perceptual functions which are abnormal in schizophrenia. Organization of the cerebral cortex (cortical layers) particularly in frontal and temporal lobes is disturbed. Here, there is a disorganization and thinning of layers: based on activity studies (by scans that now look at brain activity) Frontal and temporal lobe activity is also seen in same areas of structural/physical abnormality: abnormal development of brain is most likely what leads to this disease, some features of schizophrenia also involve abnormalities in dopamine (increase). This dopamine plays a role in frontal/temporal lobes. Effects cognitive, emotional, perceptual functions: a # of medications that affect dopamine transmission often improve symptoms, the mesocorticolimbic pathway is affected. Meso = midbrain - where vta (ventrotangmental area).