The Importance of Perception to Schizophrenics

The Importance of Perception to Schizophrenics

Schizophrenia is one of the most complex brain disorders. It is a genetically contrived disease which has nothing to do with misconceived characteristic of split personalities. It concerns the degradation of the brain observed through common symptoms collectively known as "positive symptoms." The common "positive symptoms" are insequential thought processes, delusions, disorganized speech, and hallucinations (4). Other symptoms, such as apathy, alogia, avolition, depression or social withdrawal are known as "deficit symptoms(4)." Schizophrenia diminishes the neurodevelopment, the social learning as well as the behavioral developmental processes of the brain (1). Since most of the symptoms affect behavior, it is crucial to incorporate the subjective view of the schizophrenic patient. Most schizophrenic symptoms suggest the obstruction or interruption of perception mechanisms, and the limited motor reaction capacity. In this essay, various aspects are put forth to show how input mechanisms of the individual's perception induces the "self " to complicate output interaction and control.

Sensory input mechanisms and memory play vital roles in the perception of the individual. The individual's internal preconceived images, notions and information provide immediate orientation in external situations. However, the schizophrenic's perception has no conscious point of reference to orientate him or herself to in the external world. This point of reference may be called the cognitive schemata(1). The individual without this stored knowledge of cognitive schemata is then trapped in their inner world with strange, traumatic interactions with the outer world. Therefore the schizophrenic mus...

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...etic codes, perhaps a certain group of people, for example occupation, is more prone to have schizophrenics then others.

In conclusion, the idea that the brain is the basis of the individual is constantly supported in the study of schizophrenia. As seen in this paper, proper perception of inputs and outputs located in the brain, the individual can not exist.. As Dr. Robert J.vanden Bosch describes the disease of schizophrenia, it is the "disequilibrium of bottom-up and top-down cognitive processes(1)."

WWW Sources

1) Context and Cognition in Schizophrenia

http://www.centraal.nl/

2) Ask the Expert - Schizophrenia and Eye Tracking

http://www.inhsource.com/expert/exp1062496ehtml

3) What is Schizophrenia?

http://www.schizophrenia.ca/english.html

4) Schizophrenic Disorders

http://ch.nus.sg/cybermed/clinical/psychological-medicine/schizo.html