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Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
- Psychological Disorder
- A “harmful dysfunction” in which behavior is judged: - atypical- not enough in itself - disturbing-varies with time & culture - maladaptive- harmful - unjustifiable-sometimes there’s a good reason
Schizophrenia
• Occurs around world at same rate - 1
percent of the population
• Half beds in mental or psychiatric
hospitals contain schizophrenia patients.
• Usually diagnosed in late teens or early
twenties.
• Males and Females equally frequently, but
males tend to be more severe.
Schizophrenia
Symptoms of Schizophrenia Disorganized Thinking
“ This morning, when I was at Hillside Hospital, I was making a movie. I was surrounded by movie stars. The X-ray technician was Peter Lawford. The security guard was Don Knotts. That Indian doctor in Building 40 was Lou Costello. I’m Mary Poppins. Is this room painted blue to get me upset? My grandmother died four weeks after my eighteenth birthday .”
Symptoms of Schizophrenia Disorganized Thinking
• Jumping from one idea to another while
speaking creates a “word salad”.
- Neologisms: Combine words (e.g., splisters
- combination of splinters and blisters)
• Some believe that these disorganized
thoughts come from an inability to
selectively attend.
- Remember the cocktail party phenomenon?
Symptoms of Schizophrenia Disorganized Thinking Delusions
• Delusions: Bizarre beliefs maintained in
spite of strong evidence to the contrary.
- Paranoid Delusions: Extreme suspicion,
people are out to get you.
- Delusions of Grandeur: Belief that they are
someone very important.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia Disorganized Thinking Delusions
- Delusions of Persecution: Target of a plot to
harm them.
- Delusions of Reference: Unrelated events
are given special significance.
- A radio program or newspaper article is giving them a special message.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia Disturbed Perceptions Schizophrenic Art
Symptoms of Schizophrenia Inappropriate Emotions and Actions
- Emotions
- Some people with schizophrenia display inappropriate emotions, i.e. they laugh after describing the death of a loved one.
- Some people with schizophrenia display a flat affect (show no emotions).
- Actions
- Some people with schizophrenia may perform senseless compulsive acts such as rocking or rubbing an arm.
- Other people with schizophrenia may become catatonic.
Types of Schizophrenia Process vs. Reactive Schizophrenia
- Process (or chronic) Schizophrenia: Describes symptoms that developed gradually, usually over a period of years.
- Reactive (or acute) Schizophrenia: Sudden onset symptoms. - Reaction to negative life events
- Much more likely that reactive will get better.
Types of Schizophrenia Symptoms
- Patients with Positive Symptoms may experience hallucinations, are disorganized in their thinking, and may exhibit inappropriate emotions. - Presence of inappropriate behaviors.
- Patients with Negative Symptoms have toneless voices and rigid bodies. - Absence of appropriate behaviors.
Understanding Schizophrenia Brain Abnormalities Dopamine Overactivity
- People with schizophrenia seem to have MANY more dopamine receptors in their brains.
- High levels of dopamine may intensify brain signals, creating positive symptoms.
- Drugs which block dopamine receptors (Haladol & Clozapine) often lessen the symptoms.
- Amphetamines and cocaine, which increase dopamine levels, often increase the symptoms.
Understanding Schizophrenia Brain Abnormalities
- When experiencing hallucinations, schizophrenic’s brains are very active in certain areas.
- Pet scans show abnormal brain activity (lots of thalamus activity)
- Enlarged ventricles (fluid filled sacks in brain)
- Shrinkage of cerebral cortex – more shrinkage the more negative symptoms
- Small thalamus – may explain inability to filter sensory information
- Why? Low birth weight and birth complications are correlated with schizophrenia. A midpregnancy viral infection might impair brain development? docsity.com