Schizophrenia: disorder in which the ability to function is impaired by severely distorted beliefs, “perceptions,” and thought processes. (Hockenbury, 533) A ‘thought disorder.’ (Rose, Episode 9 Eric Kandel)
Characterized by cognitive decline that begins with the first episode of illness, usually in young adulthood, and continues throughout life, often with no remission. (Kandel4, 59) A form of “psychosis.” Psychoses in general are characterized by a break from reality, and tend to be one of the most severe types of psychological disorders. In severe cases, individuals become out of touch with reality, their thinking becomes confused, their behavior becomes bizarre. (Bamford, 10/25/10) In contrast, "mood disorders" are emotional, and "dementias" are "cognitive." (Lewis, 157) Probably begins before birth, but it usually doesn’t become apparent until late adolescence or early adulthood. When it does appear, schizophrenia often has devastating effects on thinking, volition, behavior, memory, and social interaction—the underpinnings of our senses of self—just at the time in their lives when young people are becoming independent. Like depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder affecting numerous regions of the brain. (Kandel4, 84) Schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency. Schizophrenia often first appears in men in their late teens or early twenties. In contrast, women are generally affected in their twenties or early thirties. (National Institutes of Mental Health) If treatment is begun immediately, young people can usually be stabilized. All too often, however, they don’t seek treatment until after they have been sick for several years. If a person with schizophrenia stops taking medication, the regulation of neural (pathways) will be disrupted, and he or she will begin to experience symptoms again. (Kandel4, 94) "Heritability" and “risk" values indicate a strong role for "genes" in causing schizophrenia. The condition has a significant environmental component, too. Environmental factors include birth complication, fetal oxygen deprivation, "herpes virus" infection at birth and malnutrition, traumatic brain injury, or "infection" in the mother. Environmental influences after birth are also important. (Lewis, 158) Brain scans of untreated people with schizophrenia reveal, over time, a subtle, but perceptible, loss of “gray matter” (the “cell body” and “dendrites” of neurons in the “cerebral cortex”). This loss of gray matter, which contributes to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, is thought to result from excessive “pruning” of dendrites during development, which leads to loss of synaptic connections amonthg neurons. (Kandel4, 87) Also referred to as ‘schizophrenic disorders.'
Catatonic Schizophrenia: marked by highly disturbed movements or actions. Very rare. (Hockenbury, 535-536) Characterized by bizarre “motor” disturbances. In some cases, these individuals assume statue-like poses and do not physically move for hours at a time. They seem to be incredibly withdrawn, and so do not respond to any environmental stimuli. (Bamford, 10/25/10)
Disorganized Schizophrenia: characterized by extremely disorganized behavior, disorganized speech, and the "flat affect." (Hockenbury, 536)
Dopamine Hypothesis: the view that schizophrenia is related to, and may be caused by, excessive activity of the “neurotransmitter” “dopamine” in the brain. (Hockenbury, 540) In those suffering from schizophrenia, "neurons" that use dopamine "fire" too often and transmit too many messages; as a result, the symptoms associated with schizophrenia appear. It is now believed that excessive dopamine activity may only be implicated in schizophrenia characterized by positive symptoms and not in schizophrenia characterized by negative symptoms. (Cardwell, 81)
Paranoid Schizophrenia: subtype of schizophrenia that is characterized by the presence of "delusions" (of 'persecution'). These individuals are hostile and aggressive. (They may) falsely believe that their phones are tapped, that they are being watched through binoculars, or that they are being taken advantage of. (Bamford, 10/25/10) Most common type of schizophrenia. (Hockenbury, 535)
Symptoms of Schizophrenia: (there are) three types of symptoms, positive, negative, and cognitive. Positive symptoms are "illusions," delusions, and acting crazy. The negative symptoms are social withdrawal and lack of "motivation." Cognitive symptoms include difficulty with organizing one’s life, and difficulty with "working memory." (Rose, Episode 9 Eric Kandel)
Cognitive Symptoms: reflect problems with the executive functions involved in organizing one’s life, with “working memory,” as well as early features of dementia. Patients are sometimes unable to gather their thoughts or to follow a train of thought. In addition, they may be unable to do the everyday things needed to be successful at work or to sustain relationships with others. (Kandel4, 86-87)
Negative Symptoms: marked deficits or decreases in behavioral or emotional functioning. (Hockenbury, 534) Refers to the absence of something that is normally present. (Cardwell, 215) Examples include a lack of emotional responding, withdrawal, and minimal movement. More likely to be observed in older individuals who have experienced a long, chronic course of the disorder. (Bamford, 1/25/10) The negative symptoms of schizophrenia— social withdrawal and lack of motivation— are typically present before the positive symptoms, but they are generally overlooked until a person experiences a psychotic episode. Social withdrawal many not entail actually avoiding people but rather being walled off and wrapped up in a separate world. (Kandel4, 86) Also referred to as ‘negative schizophrenic symptoms.’
Alogia: greatly reduced production of speech. Verbal responses are limited to brief, empty comments. (Hockenbury, 534)
Avolition: the inability to initiate or persist in even simple forms of goal-directed behaviors, such as dressing, bathing, or engaging in social activities. (Hockenbury, 534)
Disturbed Emotions: a characteristic of schizophrenia. Sometimes the emotions are inappropriate (laughing while talking about tragedy), but more commonly emotions are absent, there is a lack of any emotional response. (Bamford, 10/25/2010)
Flat Affect: regardless of the situation, the person responds in an emotionally ‘flat’ way, showing a dramatic reduction in emotional responsiveness and facial expressions. Speech is slow and monotonous. (Hockenbury, 534) Also referred to as ‘affective flattening.’
Irrational Thought: the general cognitive confusion that schizophrenics experience. Their speech often fails to make sense and their thinking is so disorganized that they rarely complete tasks that they start. (Bamford, 10/25/10)
Positive Symptoms: symptoms that reflect excesses or distortions of normal functioning. (Hockenbury, 533) Refers to the presence of something that is normally absent. (Cardwell, 215) Called ‘positive’ not because they are good but because they represent new types of behavior for the person who has them. The ones patients often recognize first. Reflect disordered thought. Disordered thought detaches a person from reality, leading to altered perceptions and behavior, such as hallucinations and delusions. (Kandel4, 85) The persons’s mind drifts from topic to topic in an unpredictable, illogical manner. (Hockenbury, 534) Examples include delusions, auditory hallucinations, and bizarre behavior. (Bamford, 1/25/10) Also referred to as ‘positive schizophrenic symptoms.’
Delusions: false beliefs that persist in spite of compelling contradictory evidence. Bizarre and farfetched notions. (Hockenbury, 533) A false belief held against all contrary evidence. (Coon, 549) Irrational thoughts or ideas. (Bamford, 10/25/10)
Delusions of Grandeur: the feeling of having special powers. (Kandel4, 86) Belief that the person is extremely powerful, important, or wealthy. (Hockenbury, 534) (For example), believing that one is Jesus or Napoleon. (Bamford, 10/25/10)
Delusions of Reference: a very common type of delusion. Patients feel that they’re receiving special messages, just for them, from the television or the radio; they often feel that other people can control their minds. (Kandel4, 86) Belief that other people are constantly talking about (you) or that everything that happens is somehow related to (you). (Hockenbury, 533)
Paranoid Delusions: the belief that others are plotting against or trying to harm the person or someone close to her. (Hockenbury, 534) For example, believing that the government is watching, or that aliens have implanted a chip in one’s brain. (Bamford, 10/25/10) The most common type… of the several categories of delusions. Patients often feel as though other people are out to get them, or following them, or trying to harm them. It is not uncommon for patients to believe that someone is trying to poison them, particularly with their medications. (Kandel4, 85) Also referred to as ‘delusions of persecution.”
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia: an individual displays some combination of positive and negative symptoms that does not clearly fit the criteria for the paranoid, catatonic, or disorganized type. (Hockenbury, 536)
Viral Infection Theory of Schizophrenia: contends that the development of schizophrenia is related to exposure to the flu virus or other viral infection during prenatal development or early infancy. (Hockenbury 538)