Schizophrenia CP Psychology Mrs. Bradley

What is Schizophrenia?  A mental condition involving distorted perceptions of reality and an inability to function in most aspects of life.

Sounds serious…..  It is. It is a PSYCHOSIS – an extreme mental disturbance. It is NOT a split personality or multiple personality disorder. Schizophrenia is when the personality loses its unity.

What’s it like???  “To be schizophrenic is best summed up in a repeating dream that I have had since childhood. In this dream I am lying on a beautiful sunlit beach, but my body is in pieces…..I realize that the tide is coming in and that I am unable to gather the parts of my dismembered body together to run away….

 …. This to me is what schizophrenia feels like; being fragmented in one’s personality and constantly afraid that the tide of illness will completely cover me.” –Henry Rollin Coping with Schizophrenia (1980)

A Day in the Life  Let’s watch a video that was created to show what it’s like to be a schizophrenic.  After the video we’ll talk about the symptoms of the disease.  Video Video

Symptoms  Bizarre delusions –People are plotting against me –Dogs are really aliens from space –Delusions of identity -- “I’m Queen Victoria.” –Interpreting innocent events as evil signs

Symptoms  Hallucinations –False sensory experiences that seem real –Can be visions or voices –Hearing voices is a hallmark of the disease

Symptoms  Disorganized, incoherent speech –Illogical word patterns –Sometimes rhyming –Called “word salads”

Symptoms  Disorganized and inappropriate behavior –Wearing three coats, gloves and hat in the summer –Childlike behavior –Violent agitation –Catatonic stupor: withdrawing from world, can last for hours or days

Symptoms Impaired cognitive abilities Schizophrenics score much worse than healthy people in all cognitive tests: verbal learning, word recall, memory, problem solving, etc.

When do symptoms appear: Cognitive impairment usually appears first and can appear in childhood. Most symptoms appear in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Each case is different.. There are patterns to symptoms and when they appear, but there are no absolutes.

Why does someone become schizophrenic? It’s nature…. …..not nurture, which early theorists believed. BUT……..

Nature reacts with nurture. Genes interact with certain events or conditions.

Genetic vulnerability The risk of developing schizophrenia increases as the genetic relatedness with a diagnosed schizophrenic increases.

Structural brain abnormalities  Decreased brain weight  Decreased volume in temporal lobe or hippocampus  Enlargement of ventricles About 25% do not have these observable brain deficiencies.

Brain damage due to schizophrenia

Neurotransmitter abnormalities Include serotonin, glutamate, dopamine Many schizophrenics have high levels of brain activity in areas served by dopamine, and greater numbers of dopamine receptors. Similar abnormalities are found in depression and alcoholism.

Prenatal or birth complications Damage to the fetal brain increases chances of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. May occur as a function of maternal malnutrition or illness, such as the flu. May also occur if brain injury or oxygen deprivation occurs at birth

Adolescent abnormalities in brain development Normal pruning of excessive synapses in the brain occurs during adolescence. In schizophrenics, a greater number of synapses are pruned away. May explain why the onset is usually during adolescence.

Treatments  Watch the video (after the commercial) to learn about treatments for schizophrenia.  treatments treatments