Posted by: Maria/MDHealthForum.com Team

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that disrupts one’s thinking and perception of reality. Manifestations of schizophrenia include: hallucinations, delusions, altered sense of self, disorganized communication, reduced motivation and impaired expression of emotions. People with schizophrenia may have difficulty relating to others, holding a job and caring for themselves, thus causing strain on their families and the society as well. It is approximated that 1% of the world’s population is affected by this cruel and debilitating disease. Schizophrenia typically begins between ages 15 and 25. This disease has been affecting mankind for centuries and scientists continuously search for answers concerning its etiology

Interventions for people with mental disorders have been greatly influenced by beliefs and theories of its causes. Centuries ago, it was believed that mental disorders were caused by evil possession and treatment was then exorcising these demons by different means, ranging from exposing the patient to certain types of music, to crude means such as drilling holes in the patient’s skull to release the evil spirit. Thanks to research, now people with schizophrenia wouldn’t have to bear extra burden from incongruous treatments. Many drugs are available to control the symptoms of schizophrenia. Scientists continue to explore how to treat debilitating symptoms with minimal side effects. In conjunction with medicines, psychotherapy is also favored by patients and their families. Electroconvulsive therapy is another treatment option for some severe cases. Treatments have been quite helpful but are limited to controlling the symptoms, this is largely due to the fact that this disease is not yet completely understood.

Many theories have attempted to explain what causes schizophrenia. Experts agree that this illness arise from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. It is also believed that in schizophrenia, there are disconnections among regions in the brain that control thoughts, perceptions and emotions. Scientists at McGovern Institute for Brain believe that the result of their recent study could help to explain the cognitive and psychological symptoms of schizophrenia. Participants of the study included recently diagnosed schizophrenia patients, nonpsychotic first-degree relatives of patients and healthy controls.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to observe the subjects while performing memory tasks and while at rest. The researchers were particularly interested in the so-called default system, this includes medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex, these are regions that are normally suppressed while people carry-out demanding mental tasks. They are associated with self-focus as well as autobiographical memories, when the mind is allowed to wander, these regions simultaneously connects to an active network. The researchers noted the hyperactivity in the default system of participants with schizophrenia during periods of rest and while they were supposed to perform memory tasks.

The authors of this study think that their findings may explain why of people with schizophrenia are unable to direct mental input away from their own thoughts and feelings and toward the external world in order to do demanding tasks. They also believe that symptoms like hallucinations and paranoia could develop due to the observed hyperactivity of the brain’s default system because it makes neutral external stimuli appear self-relevant. For example, listening to a voice on television, may be perceived that the voice is speaking directly to them because of the excess activity in the region that control self-focus. Interestingly, investigators also noted excess activity in the same brain regions of first degree relatives of schizophrenia although they did not have the disorder themselves. Their overactivity was of lesser extent in the said group of patients. The researchers believe this suggests that the the default system’s over activation may be linked to the genetic nature of schizophrenia.

Over production of dopamine has also been thought to predispose schizophrenia. Scientists believe partly in the said theory because drugs that inhibit the action of dopamine have been effective for patients. It has also been speculated that the coat that surrounds nerve cells, which is made of myelin, is not intact in people with schizophrenia. However, a new study which was done by researchers at the Imperial College London suggest that there was no truth the said theories. The authors of this study examined brain samples donated by people with schizophrenia. The samples were taken from the frontal cortical area an the temporal cortex- regions of the brain that are associated with the disease. Researchers identified a number of genes that work differently in patients with schizophrenia compared with the controls.
Most of the identified genes take part in regulating cell-to-cell signaling in the brain. The findings support one theory that abnormalities stem out from the way cells in the brain communicate. Additionally, the researchers found no difference between the control group and patients with schizophrenia in terms of how the genes for dopamine and myelin act.

With the genes now identified, Professor Jackie de Belleroche, the corresponding author of the research stated their findings narrowed the search for possible objectives of treatment. At present, patients’ behavior serve as basis for diagnosing schizophrenia, but new findings could also pave way to new ways of diagnosing the disorder. Most cases are diagnosed during teenage years or early 20’s, according to Professor de Belleroche, earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment could allow patients to have a better quality of life.

Being unsatisfied has always been associated with negative things such as greed, but as far as understanding schizophrenia is concerned, man’s hunger for knowledge is something that we all should be thankful about. It has been helping doctors and the general public to better understand this rather unfortunate illness. Promising results of studies in the future, will improve the current interventions for schizophrenia.. drilling skulls for an absurd reason will forever belong to the past.

References:
Maycox et al. Analysis of gene expression in two large schizophrenia cohorts identifies multiple changes associated with nerve terminal function. Molecular Psychiatry, March 3, 2009; DOI: 10.1038/mp.2009.18

Tharyan P, Adams CE. Electroconvulsive therapy for schizophrenia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000076. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000076.pub2.
http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00356317

McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Imperial College London (2009, March 5). Schizophrenia Could Be Caused By Faulty Signaling In Brain

Tags: delusions, hallucinations, mental illness, schizophrenia

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