Schizophrenia Monica Gindi 1958

Table of Contents IntroductionSymptomsOnsetCause Neurological effect DiagnosisManagement

Introduction Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to recognize what is real. Many horrifying symptoms such as auditory hallucination, confused thinking and reduced emotional expression are all evident in patients suffering from schizophrenia. Early environment, genetics, prescription and recreational drugs all play a factor in what may cause, amplify, or worsen symptoms in schizophrenic victims. Symptoms begin in young adulthood and is carried on through the rest of their life time. The average life expectancy of people with the disorder is years less than without due to increased physical health problems and a high suicide rate

Symptoms Hallucination (most reported are haring voices) Delusions Disorganized thinking/speech Social withdrawal Lack of hygiene Loss of motivation Poor judgement

Symptoms Cont. There is often a pattern of emotional difficulty, or even lack of responsiveness. Impairment in social expressions and social isolation are linked to the symptoms of paranoia a schizophrenic patient may suffer from. In one extreme; however an uncommon subtype, the person may remain mute, motionless in bizarre postures, or exhibit purposeless agitation, all sign of catatonia. About 30 to 50% of people with schizophrenia fail to accept that they have an illness or their recommended treatment

Positive & Negative Schizophrenia is described in terms of positive & negative symptoms. Positive symptoms include delusion, disordered thoughts, auditory and visual hallucination, typically regarded as manifestations of psychosis. Although positive symptoms are rare they generally respond well to medication Negative symptoms include flat expression, little emotion, poverty of speech, inability to express pleasure, lack of desire to form relationships, and lack of motivation. Negative symptoms response to medication is often limited.

Onset Late Adolescence and early childhood; which are critical years in a young adults social and vocational development 40% of men and 23% of women diagnosed with schizophrenia have reported the condition manifested itself before the age of 19. To minimize the developmental of schizophrenia, much work has recently been done to identify and treat the prodromal (pre-onset) phase of the illness, which has been detected up to 30 months before the onset of symptoms. To minimize the developmental of schizophrenia, much work has recently been done to identify and treat the prodromal (pre-onset) phase of the illness, which has been detected up to 30 months before the onset of symptoms.

Causes GeneticEnvironment Substance use

Genetics The greatest risk of developing schizophrenia is having a very closely related, relative with the disease which leaves you at a risk (risk is 6.5%). If one parent is affected the risk is about 13% and if both parents are affected the child has a 50% chance of being born or developing schizophrenia

Environment Living environment, drug use and prenatal stressors are all factors associated with the development of schizophrenia. Although parenting seems to have no major effect, supportive parents do better than those with hostile or critical parents. Childhood trauma, abuse, being bullied, or separation from loved ones/families increase the risk of psychosis. Living in an urban environment during childhood increases the risk by a factor of two. Other environmental factors include family dysfunction, unemployment and poor housing conditions.

Substance use 50% of schizophrenic patients abuse drugs and or alcohol. Amphetamine, cocaine and to a lesser extent alcohol can result to psychosis which is similar to schizophrenia. Although it may not be a cause, people with schizophrenia tend to use nicotine at much greater rates than the general population. Early exposure of the developing brain to cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia. Its ability to cause psychotic conditions is probably related to long-term changes in the brain caused by a substance found in marijuana called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC affects chemicals in the brain that transmit information from one nerve cell to another. Disrupting the delicate chemical balance can result in memory loss, anxiety and other conditions

Neurological Technologies such as MRI and PET are used to examine functional differences in brain activity, which have shown that differences seem to most commonly occur in the frontal lobes, hippocampus and temporal lobes. Reduction in brain volume, smaller than those found in Alzheimer’s disease, have been reported in areas of the frontal cortex and temporal lobes. Since neural circuits are altered, it has alternatively been suggested that schizophrenia should be thought of as a collection of neurodevelopmental disorders

Diagnosis Diagnosis include self-reported experiences of the person and reported abnormalities in behavior, followed by a clinical assessment by a mental health professional. Symptoms associated with schizophrenia occur along a continuum in the population and must reach a certain severity before a diagnosis is made. As of 2014 there is no objective test.

Management Medication; The primary treatment of schizophrenia is antipsychotic medications, often in combination with psychological and social supports. A number of psychsocial interventions may be useful in the treatment of schizophrenia, such as; family therapy, supported employment, skills training, and interventions for substance abuse.

Patient: Seven