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schizophrenia
A psychotic disorder in which personal, social, and occupational functioning deteriorates as a result of strange perceptions, unusual emotions, and motor abnormalities.
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psychosis
A state in which a person loses contact with reality.
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positive symptoms
Symptoms of schizophrenia that seem to be excesses of or bizarre additions to normal thoughts, emotions, or behaviors.
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delusion
A strange false belief firmly held despite evidence to the contrary.
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formal thought disorder
A disturbance in the production and organization of thought.
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loose associations
A common thinking disturbance in schizophrenia, characterized by rapid shifts from topic of conversation to another. Also known as derailment.
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hallucation
The experiencing of sights, sounds, or other perceptions in the absence of external stimuli.
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inappropriate affect
Display of emotions that are unsuited to the situation; a symptom of schizophrenia.
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negative symptoms
Symptoms of schizophrenia that seem to be deficits in normal thought, emotions, or behaviors.
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alogia
A decrease in speech or speech content; a symptom of schizophrenia. Also known as poverty of speech.
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flat affect
A marked lack of expressed emotions; a symptom of schizophrenia.
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avolition
A symptom of schizophrenia marked by apathy and an inability to start or complete a course of action.
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catatonia
A pattern of extreme psychomotor symptoms found in some forms of schizophrenia, which may include catatonic stupor, rigidity, or posturing.
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schizophrenia key features
Various psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, flat or inappropriate affect, and catatonia. Lasts 6 months or more. 1.0% lifetime prevalence.
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brief psychotic disorder
Various psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, flat or inappropriate affect, and catatonia. Lasts less than 1 month.
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schizophreniform disorder
Various psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, flat or inappropriate affect, and catatonia. Lasts 1-6 months. 0.2% lifetime prevalence.
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schizoaffective disorder
Marked symptoms both of schizophrenia and a mood disorder. 6 months or more.
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Delusional disorder
Persistent delusions that are not bizarre and not due to schizophrenia: persecutory, jealous, grandious, and somatic delusions are common. 1 month or more. 0.1% lifetime prevalence.
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Shared psychotic disorder
Person adopts delusions that are held by another individual, such as a parent or a sibling; also known as folie a deux.
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Psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition
Hallucinations or delusions caused by a medical illness or brain damage.
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Substance-induced psychotic disorder
Hallucinations or delusions caused directly by a substance, such as an abused drug.
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dopamine hypothesis
The theory that schizophrenia results from excessive activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
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antipsychotic drugs
Drugs that help correct grossly confused or distorted thinking.
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phenothiazines
A group of antihistamine drugs that became the first group of effective antipsychotic medications.
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atypical antipsychotic drug
A relatively new group of antipsychotic drugs whose biological action is different from that of traditional antipsychotic drugs.
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schizophrenogenic mother
A type of mother - supposedly cold, domineering, and uninterested in the needs of others - who was once thought to cause schizophrenia in her child. (Fromm-Reichmann)
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double-bind hypothesis
A theory that some parents repeatedly communicate pairs of messages that are mutually contradictory, helping to produce schizophrenia in their children.
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state hospitals
Public mental health hospitals in the United States, run by the individual states.
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milieu therapy
A humanistic approach to institutional treatment based on the belief that institutions can help patients recover by creating a climate that promotes self-respect, responsible behavior, and meaningful activity.
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token economy program
A behavioral program in which a person's desirable behaviors are reinforced systematically throughout the day by the awarding of tokens that can be exchanged for goods or privileges.
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antipsychotic drugs
Drugs that help correctly grossly confused or distorted thinking.
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neuroleptic drugs
Conventional antipsychotic drugs, so called because they often produce undesired effecs similar to the symtomps of neurological disorders.
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extrapyramidal effects
Unwanted movements, such as severe shaking, bizarre-looking grimaces, twisting of the body, and extreme restlessness, sometimes produced by conventional antipsychotic drugs.
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tardive dyskinesia
Extrapyramidal effects that appear in some patients after they have taken conventional anitpsychotic drugs for an extended time.
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agranulocytosis
A life-threatening reduction in white blood cells. This condition is sometimes produced by the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine.
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deinstitutionalization
The discharge of large numbers of patients from long-term institutional care so that they might be treated in community programs.
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community mental health center
A treatment facility that provides medication, psychotherapy and emergency care for psychological problems and coordinates treatment in the community.
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aftercare
A program of posthopsitalization care and treatment in the community.
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day center
A program that offers hopsital-like treatment during the day only. Also known as a day hospital.
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halfway house
A residence for people with schizophrenia or other severe problems, often staffed by paraprofessionals. Also known as a group home or crisis house.
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sheltered workshop
A supervised workplace for people who are not yet ready for competitive jobs.
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case manager
A community therapist who offers a range of services for people with schizophrenia or other severe disorders, including therapy, advice, medication, guidance, and protection of patients' rights.
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