Schizophrenia

Schizopbrenia is a neurological disorder that is characterized by specific bebaviors including: psychotic episodes, delusions, paranoia, and difficulty perceiving reality. Schizophrenia is treated with medication and psychotherapy.

Definition

Schizophrenia is a serious neurological disorder of unknown cause that is characterized by specific behaviors. Typical behavior seen in schizophrenia includes psychotic episodes, delusions*, paranoia*, and difficulty perceiving reality. Schizophrenia has a genetic component, but many other factors are thought to be involved. Schizophrenia is treated with

antipsychotic drugs medication.

What Are Neurotransmitters?

The brain is a complex organ that functions through electrical and chemical signals. The substances that perform the chemical signaling are called neurotransmitters. There are many types of neurotransmitters, and they have distinct functions and locations for signaling within the brain. Neurotransmitters act on brain cells known as neurons. Neurons in different parts of the brain perform different functions and use neurotransmitters to communicate with each other.  Neurotransmitters are passed from one neuron to another. The neuron receiving the chemical neurotransmitter signal has physical docks for the neurotransmitters known as neurotransmitter receptors. A neurotransmitter cannot perform its chemical signaling function without a receptor through which to act. Both proper levels of neurotransmitters and functional neurotransmitter receptors are necessary for successful signaling. Blocking a neurotransmitter from interacting with its receptor blocks that chemical signaling pathway. Blocking a neurotransmitter receptor is known as antagonizing the receptor.

Because areas of the brain need to interact with each other via these chemical signals, neuronal pathways are formed during fetal development that act as communication highways. Each neuronal pathway uses specific neurotransmitters to accomplish successful brain functioning. A disruption in thepnsicl neuronal pathway such as the loss of neuron cells or the loss of communication between neurons may cause mental diseases such as schizophrenia. Additionally, an increase or decrease in the neurotransmitter chemical signals present in these pathways may also cause symptoms such as behavioral changes or neurological disorders and disease. Schizophrenia may be caused by both physical damage to certain groups of neurons in the brain and alteration of specific types of neurotransmitter signaling.

What Is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia involves a specific type of disordered thinking and behavior. It could be described as the splitting of the cognitive functions of the mind from the appropriate emotional responses. Family history of schizophrenia increases the chance of having the disease, but the exact way it is inherited is unknown. Only some schizophrenic patients have

detectable anatomical brain abnormalities. The cause of schizophrenia had not been determined as of the early 2000s, yet drugs effective in its treatment had been identified. Schizophrenia is treated with antipsychotic drugs that primarily act on receptors in the brain for the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. By inhibiting the activity of these receptors, antipsychotics are effective at decreasing some of the bizarre behavior typical of schizophrenia. Unfortunately this medication often also has severe negative side effects, mostly affecting movement.

How Many People Develop Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is estimated to afflict 1 percent of the world's population. Approximately 3 million people have schizophrenia in the United States. First-degree relatives (such as siblings and parents) of a person with the disease have approximately a 10 percent chance of developing it. Fraternal twins (twins that do not have identical genes) have approximately a 10 to

12 percent chance, and children of two schizophrenic parents have about a 40 percent chance. However, the disease is not caused entirely by genetic factors. Because identical twins* have only a 30 to 50 percent tendency to have the same schizophrenic illness, scientists know other factors determine who develops the disease. Schizophrenia occurs equally in males and females. The disease may be seen at any age, but people who begin treatment are generally between 28 to 34 years of age. Schizophrenia is associated with low economic status, probably due to a lack of proper maternal healthcare during fetal development.

What Causes Schizophrenia?

The cause of schizophrenia is unknown. Some patients have physical changes associated with the discase, including wasting of specific areas of the brain, enlargement of the ventricles* (normal spaces in the brain), and loss of neurons. Neurotransmitter signaling is often changed too, specifically regarding the neurotransmitter pathways for dopamine and

serotonin. The imbalance in the activities of these pathways is complex: Overactivity in some parts of the brain and decreased activity in other areas cause different symptoms. The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into three types, the positive, negative, and cognitive.