Brain Of Individuals With Schizophrenia example essay topic

In 1887 Dr. Emile Kraepelin identified schizophrenia for the first time in history. Dr. Kraepelin used the term 'dementia praecox" which means "early dementia", separating it from other forms of dementia usually occurring later in life. Kraepelin believed that "dementia praecox" was primarily a disease of the brain. In 1911, a Swiss psychiatrist by the name of Eugene Bleuler, was the first to use the term "schizophrenia" and the first to describe the symptoms as "negative" or "positive". Bleuler believed that the name given by Kreapelin was misleading, since the disease was not part of dementia since it did not lead to mental deterioration in all cases and it could occur in young age as well as in old age. Since Bleuler specified the term five types of schizophrenia were identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - (DSM), these include: disorganized, catatonic, paranoid, residual and undifferentiated.

In the present DSM IV these defined terms are still being used, yet more and more people are turning to use their own methods of identifying the disease rather than focusing on the given DSM terms. The onset of the disease is said to be between the ages of 15 and 25, yet there are cases where the disorder does show up in earlier years. Symptoms are divided into two categories: 1. Positive -- which include symptoms that are new to one's personality and include hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, agitation, disorganized behavior, and disorganized and incoherent speech. A hallucination can be defined as a perception of a sound, image, smell, or sensation that does not exist. Hearing voices that are not there is a common hallucination in schizophrenia.

A delusion is a distortion of reality such as a paranoid belief as the belief the government is out to kill you. 2. Negative -- which are characterized by the loss of the aspects of a person's personality such as lack of emotion or expression. A psychiatrist generally makes the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Usually the initial diagnosis will require for the individual to be put in the hospital for testing in order to rule out other causes of the individual's symptoms, including metabolic disorders, infections and seizure disorders. The DSM-IV states that in order for the diagnosis of schizophrenia to be made there must be an identification of two "positive" symptoms for at least one consecutive month. These symptoms must interfere with some aspect of a person's ability to function, either at work, school, or in relationships. Yet, if the hallucinations are bad enough the diagnosis can be made by their presence alone. The course of schizophrenia varies from individual to individual, but is usually characterized by episodes of more prominent psychotic symptoms, which can also be accompanied by relative periods of remission.

There are three phases of disease progression: , active, and residual. These categories are used to come to a more direct diagnosis and try to describe if symptoms continue even during the times the individual may be in remission. Some individuals can go into full remission after a psychotic episode, others have persistent symptoms, which are not as strong as the original ones, and more rarely, others continue to have their psychotic symptoms for a long period of time. In the phase the individual will present "negative symptoms" which will develop either slowly or suddenly. The individual will also experience social withdrawal in every aspect of their life.

Outbursts of anger, anxiety and depression can be part of this phase. The phase can last for days and even months before the actual diagnosis. The individuals in this phase can be misdiagnosed with other problems such as depression or anxiety disorders. In the Active Acute Phase, the individual will experience the "positive symptoms" of the disease.

The symptoms including hallucinations and confused thinking can appear either gradually or suddenly, depending on the individual. In this phase although the "positive symptoms" are now present the "negative symptoms" can continue. During this phase the symptoms will fluctuate between periods of severe psychotic episodes and times of remission, where the individual has no significant signs of the disease. After a certain period of time during the active phase the disease will develop a unique pattern of illness. The last phase of progress in schizophrenia is the Residual Phase. In this phase the individual will gain some control back of his life.

He will be able to gain social and job skills. Their "positive symptoms" will become less intense and the individual will be able to manage their disease with much more ease than before. Yet, even with the treatment being received typically during this phase, about 40% of the individuals will have a chance to relapse within 2 years, without treatment this percentage will increase to 80%. Many scientific studies have asked what causes schizophrenia, but no single answer has been found. Most studies touching on this problem have stated that the etiology of schizophrenia involves many factors.

Many have theorized that things such as viral infections in the womb, birth trauma, a winter or early spring birthday, genes, certain geographic areas, urban settings, stress, and abuse of alcohol, stimulants and hallucinogens may be the cause of schizophrenia. Some combination of environmental and hereditary factors may also give rise to this disorder. Some researchers have even concluded that stress felt at different times during ones life can lead to schizophrenia. Schizophrenia can run in families and has been said to have a hereditary component.

Having a first degree relative with schizophrenia increases a person's chance of developing this disease, but this risk is still relatively low. For example, studies have shown that percentages vary depending on the relative -- -8% with one sibling affected; 12% with one parent affected; 12% with nonidentical twin affected and 40% with two parents affected compared to 1% in the general population. Even if an identical twin is diagnosed with schizophrenia, the other twin has only a 50% risk of developing schizophrenia in their lifetime. Genetic factors clearly play a role, but because the risk with even an identical twin affected is only 50%, environmental factors must also contribute to the development of this disease; and some research has shown lack of communication in the family can precede the onset of the disease in a child.

Other researchers see schizophrenia as a physical disease of the nervous system. For example, the patient may be 'intoxicated' by some chemical (possibly similar to LSD, DMT, or mescaline) which his body may be producing due to a genetically inherited error in metabolism. Certain forms of mental retardation are known to be passed on genetically. Perhaps the same thing could be true of schizophrenia One other theory being studied to the cause of schizophrenia is the possibility that abnormalities in the brain may be the cause. In recent years researchers have been able to use the technology now available to look at the brain of individuals with schizophrenia. Many of the studies have revealed abnormalities in brain structures such as enlargement of the ventricles in the interior of the brain and a decreased size in some of the regions.

In other studies, the researchers have been able to see some evidence of early chemical changes that may be present during the beginning of the disease in an individual. Other theories to the cause of schizophrenia involve neurotransmitters which are occupied in the brain. For example The Dopamine hypothesis gives the attention to the thought that there are various dopamine receptors malfunctions in the brain which reverse the action of dopamine on the neurons. Treatment for schizophrenia tries to be focused on getting rid of the symptoms, reducing the number of relapses and reducing the severity of the illness. Treatment is lifelong and is made up of medication, professional counseling, and support from the family and community. Medication treatment will usually include First-generation antipsychotics, which interfere with the transmission of brain chemicals, such as dopamine.

They are usually started at low doses to avoid bothersome side effects associated with these medications, which may include blurred vision, dry mouth low blood pressure and stiff, jerking movements typically seen in Parkinson's disease. The second-generation antipsychotics are also used as treatment and are said to affect the way the brain neurotransmitters work. Although the treatment enables the individual to strive for an almost stable life, the drugs do lead to unwanted side effects that may alter many other parts of the brain form loss of control of the salivary glands to sexual dysfunction. Unwanted side effect most of the times will lead the individual to considered stopping the medication, thus being susceptible to relapse. The outlook for people with schizophrenia has improved over the last 25 years. Studies that have followed people with schizophrenia for long periods of time, from the first episode to old age, reveal that a wide range of outcomes is possible when it comes to prognosis.

Although no totally effective therapy has been discovered, many people with the illness improve enough to lead independent, satisfying lives. However, for others, the effects of schizophrenia are severe and long lasting. Some people who have schizophrenia continue to decline in their ability to function at work and in relationships and few return quickly to the level of functioning they had before their first psychotic episode. Many individuals with schizophrenia abuse drugs or alcohol, and there is a high rate of suicide associated with the disorder. Research continues in the area of mental disorders.

In schizophrenia many researchers are dedicated to find the answer to the questions not yet answered. Until the day that the real cause and eradication of the disease are found all that is left is for the general public to become educated in the subject. Only by education on the problem will we be able to understand those individuals which are troubled by it.