1. Schizophrenia A PowerPoint presentation by Madison, Sonja, and Selena

2. What is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a serious medical disorder that interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly and manage their emotions. They may also have trouble distinguishing reality from fiction Commonly diagnosed when people are 16-25 About 300,000 people in Canada are diagnosed with schizophrenia

3. Common Symptoms Common symptoms are categorized as negative and positive. Negative symptoms are traits of a disorder that take away from the person’s natural behavior, while positive symptoms are traits that are added to a person because of their disorder. Positive symptoms: Auditory and visual hallucinations (touch and smell can occur, but are more rare), delusions Negative symptoms: Lack of emotion, disorganized speech, trouble with initiating goal orientated behavior

4. Example of Disorganization A patient with Schizophrenia’s disorganized writing

5. How is it diagnosed? Schizophrenia is diagnosed after a physical examination of the person to rule out any other causes that would make similar symptoms occur, such as brain tumors and other medical conditions Once this is ruled out, in order to be diagnosed, symptoms must occur for at least one month, with this occurrence persisting for at least six months in total Cannot be influenced by substance abuse, mood disorder, or a pervasive developmental disorder

6. Subtypes Subtypes of Schizophrenia are: Paranoid: A consistent belief that a threat is present despite lack of evidence confirming this Cationic: Extreme and uncontrollable behavior and moods Disorganized: A lack in ability to convey thoughts or conform to socially acceptable behavior Residual: Has one schizophrenic episode, but lacks evidence of positive symptoms Undifferentiated: Cannot be placed into one subtype

7. Connecting Schizophrenia to the Human Brain The analysis of brain tissue after death has revealed a number of structural abnormalities, and new brain-imaging techniques have revealed changes in both the structure and function of the brain during life A schizophrenic person may have neuropsychological abnormalities that impair their cognitive function (information processing and verbal memory) 50% of people with schizophrenia are not aware of their own illness; and therefore they will not accept treatment

9. Comparing a schizophrenic brain to a regular human brain So how does schizophrenia affect the brain?  Significant loss of gray brain matter  Enlarged ventricles in the brain  Enlarged amygdala  Decreased prefrontal brain function  Hyperactivity in the temporal lobes (in the hippocampus)  Problems in the inhibitory interneuron

10. Video Examples https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=LWYwckFrksg Schizophrenia: A day in the life of a Schizophrenic https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=0vvU-Ajwbok Auditory Hallucinations

11. Case Study Jani Schofield

12. Jani Schofield – 7 Year old Schizophrenic Jani – alike many children of the age of 7 – had a very active imagination, but, unlike most kids, her imaginary friends hurt her or told her to hurt other people. She would tell her dad about many friends she had made up, including a little girl named 24 hours, a rat named Wednesday and a cat named 400. Jani had been having these imaginations since she was 2, and they just got worse as she got older.

13. At the age of 5, she began to act violent. She would scratch people until she drew blood, telling her mom that if she didn’t then her imaginary friends would do that to her. Once, her mom recalls she was trying to choke herself asking how she can break her own neck. She also tried to jump out the window when she got in trouble. Once these things started to happen, her parents took her to the doctors and she was diagnosed with schizophrania

14. Jani’s sleeping patterns were all messed up, she would sleep for 20 minutes at a time. Jani had a baby brother named Bodhi, and her parents feared that she would hurt him, so as the years passed, they had to live in separate apartments. At school, Jani didn’t talk to any of the kids, she just played with her imaginary friends There is no cure for schizophrenia, so Jani and her family struggled with her, getting help from the department of mental health.

15. Can YOU identify which individual has schizophrenia?

16. Case study 1 Janice is 41 years old. She has difficulty finding words to express herself, much to her frustration. Vocalizing her thoughts takes longer than most people. In her workplace and at home, she had become increasingly quiet, almost to the point where she never speaks at all. At times, she will laugh at something socially inappropriate or pick up things to play with them, even if such an action is forbidden. As her weeks have progressed, she as become more apathetic in nature. Janice has not yet been medically examined.

17. Case study 2 Sabrina is 20 years old. During a small period of her life, she became very reckless. She was at a point of financial strain but had decided to spend her money on a new car that fit her standards. She sometimes erratically makes these decisions. In school, her grades fluctuate greatly, from above average to below. She has times when she can be very happy, and times when she is also very in tune with how she should function with her current circumstances. She has reported to her friends about hearing voices, often telling her what to do in certain situations. When she is working on school-work normally, she sometimes has thoughts of paranoia, leading her to believe that the teacher has been lying to her and that everything she is studying is wrong in order to mock her. Sabrina has not been medically examined.

18. Case Study 3 Reginald is 20 years old. His parents have noticed odd behaviours he is exhibiting as of late, including his constant accusations towards house guests. He tells his parents that he believes everyone who comes to the door is sent to try and kill him. When asked about why he believes this, he tells them that people have confirmed his suspicions. Upon additional inquiries as to who is telling him these things, he merely states that he can’t tell them. Reginald has had trouble conveying himself when he was younger, and is a bit of a slow speaker. He has a tendency to not finish what he has started, but his parents never thought too much of it. Reginald has not been medically examined.