1) In Schizophrenic patients, nicotine’s main effect is said to
- Increase drug addiction
- Modulate positive and negative symptoms
- Increase chances of recovery
- Decrease dopamine release
B is the right answer: As the presenters indicating, nicotine may have a modulatory effect on positive and negative symptoms by increasing dopamine releasing in the prefrontal cortex.
2) A schizophrenic patient who believes that a spirit is speaking to them from heaven and is telling them what they should do and who they should speak to may have:
- Visual Hallucinations
- Delusions of reference
- Third party, auditory hallucinations
- Perceptual distortions
The correct answer is C: Third party auditory hallucinations. An schizophrenic patient who hears others speaking to them and is telling them what to do is having auditory hallucinations. Visual hallucinations would involve actually seeing the ‘spirit.’ Delusions of reference suggest that things in the environment are referring to the schizophrenic. Perceptual distortions are visually seeing distorted images (no mouth on a person for example).
