Biological Causes

About the 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.

About the 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).