Biology

Introduction

Schizophrenia is a complicated, mostly permanent psychological disorder involving a disturbances in the relation amongst thought, emotions, and behaviour, leading to defective perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality. The National Mental Health Commission makes 10 recommendations, including reducing the use of restraint, seclusion and involuntary treatments. Recommendation 6 states, “There must be the same national commitment to safety and quality of care for mental health services as there is for general health services.”

Schizophrenic Patient vs. Normal Person

Brain structural and functional differences

The diagram below shows the different parts of the brain that are effected by schizophrenia, and how those disorders create certain signs and symptoms.

The basal ganglia, highlighted in blue on the diagram, is responsible for movement and emotions, and integrating sensory information. Schizophrenic patients’ basal ganglia in their brains function abnormally. These defects are thought to contribute and trigger the symptoms of paranoia and hallucinations.

The next are affected by schizophrenia is the auditory system, which is highlighted in yellow. This section of the brain allows people to understand sounds, and interpret speech. In schizophrenia, overactivity of this area, called the Wernicke’s area, can create the illusion that internally generated thoughts and feelings are real voices coming externally through the ears. Therefore, this area clearly is responsible for auditory hallucinations, sometimes a symptom associated with schizophrenia.

The area marked in green is the occipital lobe. The occipital lobe processes visual information. Schizophrenia research.org.au has conducted ...

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...h schizophrenia occur along a scale within the population and should reach an explicit severity before a diagnosis is made.

Management

The first psychiatric schizophrenic treatment is antipsychotic medication, which can reduce the positive symptoms of psychosis, which are disordered thoughts and speech, Delusions, and physical, auditory, visual, and gustatory hallucinations, in about 7–14 days. However antipsychotic medications, fail to significantly improve the negative symptoms, which include:

Decision

Make a justified and responsible decision to the safety and quality of care that a patient suffering the chosen condition should be afforded.

There must be the same national commitment to safety and quality of care for mental health services as there is for general health services.

Justify

Should treat, rather than holding them in

Early intervention

Opposing view