Symptoms of Schizophrenia www.assignmentpoint.com

Symptoms of Schizophrenia Profound disruption in cognition and emotion, affecting the most fundamental human attributes: Language Thought Perception Affect Sense of self www.assignmentpoint.com

Positive Symptoms Those that appear to reflect an excess or distortion of normal functions. www.assignmentpoint.com

Positive Symptoms Delusions. Those where the patient thinks he is being followed or watched are common; also the belief that people on TV, radio are directing special messages to him/her. www.assignmentpoint.com

Positive Symptoms Hallucinations. Distortions or exaggerations of perception in any of the senses. Often they hear voices within their own thoughts followed by visual hallucinations. www.assignmentpoint.com

Positive Symptoms Disorganized thinking/speech. AKA loose associations; speech is tangential, loosely associated or incoherent enough to impair communication. www.assignmentpoint.com

Positive Symptom Grossly disorganized behavior. Difficulty in goal directed behavior (ADLs), unpredictable agitation or silliness, social disinhibition, or bizarre behavior. There is a purposelessness to behavior. www.assignmentpoint.com

Positive Symptom Catatonic behavior. Marked decrease in reaction to immediate environment, sometimes just unaware of surroundings, rigid or bizarre postures, aimless motor activity. www.assignmentpoint.com

Other Positive Symptoms Inappropriate response to stimuli Unusual motor behavior (pacing, rocking) Depersonalization Derealization Somatic preoccupations www.assignmentpoint.com

Summary of Positive Symptoms Delusions Hallucinations Disorganized thinking Disorganized behavior Catatonic behavior Inappropriate responses www.assignmentpoint.com

FYI: Positive Symptoms Positive symptoms are those that have a positive reaction from some treatment. In other words, positive symptoms respond to treatment. www.assignmentpoint.com

Negative Symptoms Those that appear to reflect a diminution or loss of normal functions. May be difficult to evaluate because they are not as grossly abnormal as positive symptoms. www.assignmentpoint.com

Negative Symptoms Affective flattening. Reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expression, including facial expression, voice tone, eye contact and body language. www.assignmentpoint.com

Negative Symptom Alogia (poverty of speech) Lessening of speech fluency and productivity, thought to reflect slowing or blocked thoughts; often manifested as short, empty replies to questions. www.assignmentpoint.com

Negative Symptom Avolition The reduction, difficulty or inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed behavior. Often mistaken for apparent disinterest. www.assignmentpoint.com

Examples of Avolition No longer interested in going out with friends No longer interested in activities that the person used to show enthusiasm No longer interested in anything Sitting in the house for hours or days doing nothing www.assignmentpoint.com

Disorganized Symptoms This one is somewhat new and may not be considered valid. It is thought disorder, confusion, disorientation and memory problems. www.assignmentpoint.com

Summary of Negative Symptoms Lack of emotion Low energy Lack of interest in life Affective flattening Alogia Inappropriate social skills Inability to make friends Social isolation www.assignmentpoint.com

Cognitive Symptoms Difficulties in concentration and memory: Disorganized thinking Slow thinking Difficulty understanding Poor concentration Poor memory Difficulty expressing thoughts Difficulty integrating thoughts, feelings, behaviors www.assignmentpoint.com

FYI: Negative Symptoms Currently there is no treatment that has a consistent impact on negative symptoms. www.assignmentpoint.com

Types of Schizophrenia Paranoid Hebephrenic Catatonic Residual Schizoaffective Undifferentiated www.assignmentpoint.com

Paranoid Schizophrenia Persons are very suspicious of others and often have grand schemes of persecution at the root of their behavior. During this phase they may have hallucinations and frequent delusions. www.assignmentpoint.com

Hebephrenic Schizophrenia AKA disorganized schizophrenia; characterized by emotionless, incongruous, or silly behavior, intellectual deterioration, frequently beginning insidiously during adolescence. May be verbally incoherent and may have moods and emotions that are not appropriate to the situation. Hallucinations not usually present. www.assignmentpoint.com

Catatonic Schizophrenia Person is extremely withdrawn, negative and isolated. May have marked psychomotor disturbances. www.assignmentpoint.com

Residual Schizophrenia Lacks motivation and interest in day-to-day living. Person is not usually having delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech. www.assignmentpoint.com

Schizoaffective Disorder There will be symptoms of schizophrenia as well as mood disorder (depression, bipolar, mixed mania). www.assignmentpoint.com

Undifferentiated Schizophrenia Conditions meeting the general diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia but not conforming to any of the previous types. Exhibits more than one of the previous types without a clear dominance of one. www.assignmentpoint.com

Summary Before a diagnosis the psychiatrist must make a thorough evaluation including a physical/medical exam, a mental status exam, appropriate labs, and a full history. History includes changes in thinking, behavior, movement, mood, etc. as seen by the family. www.assignmentpoint.com

Medications In general it may take up to 6 months for medications to show consistent effects. The newest medication is Invega. Meds include atypicals: Abilify, Geodon, Clozapine, Risperidone, Seroquel, Zyprexa. [Remember: a giraffe can really see a zebra] www.assignmentpoint.com

These medications may have such intolerable side effects that the patient will stop the drugs. One study showed the average time the meds were taken regularly was 3 months. www.assignmentpoint.com

Treatments Psychotherapy - an adjunct to meds and is very useful to keep the patient on the meds. Group therapy Family therapy Community support groups www.assignmentpoint.com

Early detection and treatment has the best results/response to treatment. Per patients, once you have schizophrenia you have it for life. The best you can hope for is control. www.assignmentpoint.com