Kaplan and Sadocks Synopsis of Psychiatry Questions Related

Review Kaplan and Sadocks Synopsis of Psychiatry Questions related questions and content

The wife of a patient diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia asks: “I’ve been told that my husband’s illness is probably related to imbalanced brain chemicals. Can you be more specific?”

  • A. Breakdown of dopamine produces LSD, which in large amounts produces psychosis
  • B. Decreased amounts of the brain chemical dopamine explain the presence of delusions and hallucinations.
  • C. An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the presence of delusions and hallucinations.
  • D. An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the presence of lack of motivation and disordered affect
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the presence of delusions and hallucinations. In paranoid schizophrenia, there is an overactivity of dopamine receptors in the brain, leading to an excess of dopamine. This excess dopamine is associated with symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. Therefore, an increase in dopamine levels is directly linked to these specific symptoms in individuals with paranoid schizophrenia.

Explanation for why the other choices are incorrect:

A: Breakdown of dopamine producing LSD does not directly relate to the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.

B: Decreased amounts of dopamine do not explain the presence of delusions and hallucinations in paranoid schizophrenia; it is the increase in dopamine that is associated with these symptoms.

D: An increase in dopamine is more closely related to delusions and hallucinations rather than lack of motivation and disordered affect in paranoid schizophrenia.