Schizophrenia - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects about 1.1 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. People with schizophrenia sometimes hear voices others don’t hear, believe that others are broadcasting their thoughts to the world, or become convinced that others are plotting to harm them. These experiences can make them fearful and withdrawn and cause difficulties when they try to have relationships with others.The clinical guideline on schizophrenia covers psychological treatments, treatment with medicines, and how best to organise mental health services in order to help people with schizophrenia. The guideline concentrates on services for adults of working age with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia Causes
The causes of schizophrenia are not known. However, an interplay of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors are thought to be involved. We do not yet understand all the causes and other issues involved, but current research is making steady progress towards elucidating and defining causes of schizophrenia.
It’s not known what causes schizophrenia. However, researchers believe that an interaction of genetics and environment may cause schizophrenia. Problems with certain naturally occurring brain chemicals, including the neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate, also may contribute to schizophrenia.
Signs and symptoms
A person experiencing schizophrenia may demonstrate symptoms such as disorganized thinking, auditory hallucinations, and delusions. In severe cases, the person may be largely mute, remain motionless in bizarre postures, or exhibit purposeless agitation; these are signs of catatonia. The current classification of psychoses holds that symptoms need to have been present for at least one month in a period of at least six months of disturbed functioning. A schizophrenia-like psychosis of shorter duration is termed a schizophreniform disorder.[4] No one sign is diagnostic of schizophrenia, and all can occur in other medical and psychiatric conditions.
Diagnostic Features
This disorder, at some point in the illness, involves a psychotic phase (with delusions, hallucinations, or grossly bizarre/disorganized speech and behavior). This psychotic phase must last for at least one month (or less if successfully treated). Schizophrenia also causes impairment in social or vocational functioning which must last for at least 6 months. The psychotic phase is not due to a medical condition, medication, or illegal drug.
Treatment
In the past, schizophrenia has been treated with medicines that block the action of a brain chemical called dopamine. These medicines help control the abnormal thinking of people who have schizophrenia. Unfortunately, the medicines also decrease a person’s ability to show emotion, and cause slowing and stiffness in the muscles. The medicines can cause other unpleasant side effects, like unusual movements of the tongue and face (called tardive dyskinesia).
Antipsychotic medications have been available since the mid-1950s. They effectively alleviate the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. While these drugs have greatly improved the lives of many patients, they do not cure schizophrenia.
