2. Biological Causes

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about the role played by biological factors in causing schizophrenia, focusing in particular on: (i) addressing the question of whether there is a genetic basis to schizophrenia; (ii) considering some evidence for this claim from twin studies, adoption studies and family studies; (iii) how some of the symptoms of schizophrenia may be related to damage to specific brain areas, including the prefrontal cortex, Wernicke’s area and the visual cortex; (iv) the chemical changes that take place inside the schizophrenic brain, including the role of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, glutamate and serotonin.

Course

In this course, Mr Kevin Silber (University of Derby) explores different aspects of the severe mental health condition schizophrenia, including its characteristics, causes and available treatments. In the first lecture, we consider the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and debunk some common myths about the illness. In the second lecture, we think about the possible biological causes of schizophrenia. In the third lecture, we explore the psychological aspects of the condition. Next, we take a closer look at the different drug treatments that have been used to help those suffering from schizophrenia. In the fifth lecture, we consider psychological treatments, such as family therapy, CBT and token economies. In the sixth and final lecture, we think about the ‘interactionist approach’ to schizophrenia as an approach which takes account of both biological and psychological factors in understanding and treating the illness.

Lecturer

Mr Kevin Silber is a senior lecturer at the University of Derby where he primarily teaches biological psychology modules. Mr Silber is also an AQA A-Level examiner and is involved in authoring texts for A-Level psychology. Having started life as a neuroscientist, Mr Silber’s research interests still lie in biologically oriented topics. However, his main research interest is now focused on body image. Some of Mr Silber’s recent publications include ‘Working memory in children: A developmental approach to the phonological coding of pictorial material’ (2011) and ‘Sexual orientation and the sleep-wake cycle: A preliminary investigation’ (2000).