PsychologyPsychological Disorders

Studies indicate that abnormal activity by certain neuro-transmitters…

Studies indicate that abnormal activity by certain neuro-transmitters can lead to specific psychological disorders. Schizophrenia has been linked to which of the following?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → Excess activity of dopamine

Option (1) Low activity of GABA — Incorrect. Low activity of GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) is linked to anxiety disorders.

Option (2) Excess activity of GABA — Incorrect. The link given for GABA is low activity, and it is tied to anxiety disorders. Excess GABA activity is not linked to schizophrenia.

Option (3) Low activity of serotonin — Incorrect. Low activity of serotonin is linked to depression.

Option (4) Excess activity of dopamine — Correct. Schizophrenia has been linked to excess activity of dopamine. A neuro-transmitter is a chemical released at a nerve ending that carries the message across the synapse to the next neuron. Too much or too little of such activity can lead to specific disorders.

NCERT (2026-27): “FACTORS UNDERLYING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR …
Biological researchers have found that psychological disorders are often related to problems in the transmission of messages from one neuron to another. You have studied in Class XI, that a tiny space called synapse separates one neuron from the next, and the message must move across that space. When an electrical impulse reaches a neuron’s ending, the nerve ending is stimulated to release a chemical, called a neuro-transmitter. Studies indicate that abnormal activity by certain neuro-transmitters can lead to specific psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders have been linked to low activity of the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), schizophrenia to excess activity of dopamine, and depression to low activity of serotonin. …”