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Schizophrenia

Module 39

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Psychological DisordersSchizophrenia overview Symptoms of

Schizophrenia

Onset and Development of Schizophrenia

Understanding Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia

The literal translation is “split mind” which refers to a split from reality. A group of severe

disorders characterized by the following:

1. Disorganized and delusional thinking.

2. Disturbed perceptions. 3. Inappropriate emotions

and actions.

Link 58:42

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Symptoms of SchizophreniaPositive symptoms: the presence of inappropriate behaviors (hallucinations, disorganized or delusional talking)

Negative symptoms: the absence of appropriate behaviors (expressionless faces, rigid bodies)

Schizophrenia vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b69pOQYve4Q

4 Schizophrenics 9:23

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWaFqw8XnpA

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Other forms of delusions include, delusions of persecution (“someone is following me”)

or grandeur (“I am a king”).

Disorganized & Delusional Thinking

This morning when I was at Hillside [Hospital], I was making a movie. I was surrounded by movie stars … I’m Mary Poppins. Is this room painted blue to get me upset? My grandmother died four weeks after my eighteenth birthday.”(Sheehan, 1982)

This monologue illustrates fragmented, bizarre thinking with distorted beliefs called delusions (“I’m Mary Poppins”).

Link Gerald 8:12Part 2 7:11

Female Schizophrenic

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3 Jesuses walk into a bar…

• …this is not a joke.

I must not be Jesus

You guys are crazy, I

am Jesus

Huh?

The proverb test

• Proverbs like "birds of a feather flock together" or "a rolling stone gathers no moss" will be explained in a literal fashion by a schizophrenic

• i.e. a stone that is rolling can't get moss on it because it's moving.

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Disorganized & Delusional Thinking

Many psychologists believe disorganized thoughts occur because of selective attention

failure (fragmented and bizarre thoughts).

• Great book about a girl whose friend “turns schizophrenic” while they are backpacking in China.

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Disturbed Perceptions

A schizophrenic person may perceive things that are not there (hallucinations). Most such hallucinations are auditory and lesser visual,

somatosensory, olfactory, or gustatory.

L. B

erthold, Untitled. T

he Prinzhorn Collection, U

niversity of Heidelberg

August N

atter, Witches H

ead. The Prinzhorn C

ollection, University of H

eidelberg

Photos of paintings by K

rannert Museum

, University of Illinois at U

rbana-Cham

paign

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• …schizophrenics can tickle themselves because of a problem with their timing that does not allow their motor actions and resulting sensations to be correctly sequenced.

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• A 20th-century artist, Louis Wain, who was fascinated by cats, painted these pictures over a period of time in which he developed schizophrenia.

• The pictures mark progressive stages in the illness and exemplify what it does to the victim's perception.

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Inappropriate Emotions & Actions

A schizophrenic person may laugh at the news of someone dying or show no

emotion at all (flat affect).

Patients with schizophrenia may continually rub an arm, rock a chair, or remain motionless for hours (catatonia).

Childhood schizophrenia at 20/20 9:18

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Onset and Development of Schizophrenia

Nearly 1 in a 100 suffer from schizophrenia, and throughout the world over 24 million

people suffer from this disease (WHO, 2002).

Schizophrenia strikes young people as they mature into adults. It affects men

and women, but men suffer from it more severely than women.

Schizophrenia: Course

Group 330% have repeated episodes of illness with some impairment between episodes

Group 225% have repeated episodes of illness with no impairment between episodes

Group 115% have only a single episode of illness with no subsequent impairment

Group 430% have repeated episodes of illness with gradually declining impairment between episodes

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Chronic and Acute Schizophrenia

When schizophrenia is slow to develop (chronic/process) recovery is doubtful.

Such schizophrenics usually display negative symptoms.

When schizophrenia rapidly develops (acute/reactive) recovery is better. Such

schizophrenics usually show positive symptoms.

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Understanding Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a disease of the brain exhibited by the symptoms of the mind.

Dopamine Overactivity: Researchers found that schizophrenic patients express higher levels of dopamine

D4 receptors in the brain.

Drugs that block these sites help schizophrenic patients.

Brain Abnormalities

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Abnormal Brain Activity

Brain scans show abnormal activity in the frontal cortex, thalamus, and amygdala of

schizophrenic patients.

Paul T

hompson and A

rthur W. T

oga, UC

LA

Laboratory of N

euro Im

aging and Judith L. R

apport, National Institute of M

ental Health

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Abnormal Brain MorphologySchizophrenia patients may exhibit

morphological changes in the brain like enlargement of fluid-filled ventricles.

Both Photos: C

ourtesy of Daniel R

. Weinberger, M

.D., N

IH-N

IMH

/ NSC

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Viral InfectionSchizophrenia has also been observed in individuals whose mothers contracted a viral infection (flu) during the middle of

their fetal development.

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Genetic Factors

The likelihood of an individual suffering from schizophrenia is 50% if their identical

twin has the disease (Gottesman, 2001).

0 10 20 30 40 50Identical

Both parents

Fraternal

One parent

Sibling

Nephew or niece

Unrelated

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Genetic Factors

The following shows the prevalence of schizophrenia in identical twins as seen

in different countries.

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Psychological Factors

Psychological and environmental factors can trigger schizophrenia if the individual

is genetically predisposed (Nicol & Gottesman, 1983).

Genain Sisters

The genetically identical Genain

sisters suffer from schizophrenia.

Courtesy of G

enain Fam

ily

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End