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Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, disabling brain disease that interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, to distinguish reality from fantasy, to manage emotion, to make decisions, and to relate to others. Not split-personality disorder
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Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, disabling brain disease that interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, to distinguish reality from fantasy, to manage emotion, to make decisions, and to relate to others.
Not split-personality disorder • Greek roots describe the fragmented thinking. • - “schizo” means split • - “prene” means mind • Schizophrenia can be traced back to old Pharaonic Egypt (2nd millennium before Christ). • It was thought to be caused by evil spirits who possessed the bodies of schizophrenics. • Treatment was exorcism. • - Innocent methods = playing religious music • - Dangerous methods = trephination
1887 – Dr. Emile Krapelin first identified the disorder as a discrete mental illness called dementia praecox. • Dementia praecox is Latin and means “out of one’s mind for one’s time.” • 1911 - The word schizophrenia was coined by a Swiss psychiatrist named EugenBleuler.
Positive Symptoms • “Positive” – extra, beyond what normal people experience • Hallucinations • Hearing voices that are not really there (most common) • Seeing people or objects that are not really there • Smelling scents that do not really exist • Thinking he/she is being touched • Delusions • Delusions of persecution – believe people are trying to harm him/her • Delusions of reference – believe TV characters or books are specifically talking to him/her • Delusions of influence – believe he/she are being controlled by external forces like aliens or demons • Thought disorders • Movement disorders
Negative Symptoms • “Negative” – lacking from what normal people experience • Lack of interest • Lack of pleasure • Flat effect
Cognitive Symptoms • 3. “Cognitive” • Poor ability to understand information and use it to make decisions • Trouble focusing or paying attention • Problems with “working memory” (the ability to use information immediately after learning
Types • Paranoid Schizophrenia • #1 type of schizophrenia (40%) • Characterized by delusions and hallucinations • 2. Disorganized Schizophrenia • Characterized by very confused speech, social silliness, and neglect of cleanliness • 3. Catatonic Schizophrenia • Becoming rare • Characterized by very disturbed motor behavior
Onset and Prevalence • Affects 1 in every 100 people • • Men typically develop schizophrenia ages 16-25. • • Women typically develop it ages 25-30.
Possible Causes • Genes • Cannabis Use • Age of Father • Being born during winter months • Sickness of mother while pregnant • Infection in womb • Stress during childhood or earlier development • Elevated levels of neurotransmitters
Auditory hallucin-ations Paranoia & hallucin-ations Visual hallucin-ations Disorgan-ized thoughts Memory & learning problems Emotion-al issues
More Brain • Increased blood flow to some areas • Decreased blood flow to other areas • Extra grey matter lost • Enlarged Ventricles • Reduction in brain tissue
Treatments • Americans spend nearly 63 billion a year treating schizophrenia • Antipsychotics “neuroleptic medications” • 1. Typical antipsychotics (affect dopamine) • 2. Atypical antipsychotics (affect dopamine & serotonin) • Shock Treatments • 1. Insulin • 2. Electroconvulsive
Outlook for Schizophrenics • There are more untreated schizophrenics on the streets than receiving care in hospitals. • 5% of schizophrenics live their lives in hospitals. • 6% are homeless or live in shelters. • 6% live in jails or prisons. • 10% live in nursing homes. • 20% live in supervised homes. • 25% live with a family member. • 28% live independently. • Schizophrenics have a 50x higher risk of attempting suicide than the public. • 40% attempt suicide at least once in their lives. • 10-13% actually kill themselves. • Suicide is the #1 premature cause of death among schizophrenics.
Future Treatments • Drugs to lower levels of the STEP enzyme • Drugs to reduce glutamate (a neurotransmitter that excites dopamine release) • Drugs that affect the NMDA receptor (deals with glutamate) • Drugs that affect the mGluR receptors (also deal with glutamate) • Drugs that play a role in the receptors for • - Serotonin • - Nicotine • - GABA • Drugs to slow the loss of gray matter during pruning