Critical Review

Critical Review: Schizophrenia

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Introduction

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that affects almost all elements of a patient's life. The disease is characterized by hallucination, cognitive impairment, social withdrawal, delusions. All these characteristics are usually seen in Schizophrenia patients. In most cases, a patient is unable to think straight, distinguish fantasy from reality and also can be over-reactive when they interact with others. All the above symptoms can be explained based on the neurological mechanisms of a patient's mental illness. Over the recent past, there have been various researches linking psychology and neuroscience in search of information on the causes of schizophrenia in patients. “There has been evidence that the disorder is as a result of impaired activation on three brain networks between frontotemporal, front parietal and front striatal that serve in cognitive functioning and coordinating cognition and emotion” (Tritsch et al., 2016).

Theory

Neurotransmitters are basically chemical elements that are secreted by the neurons. The function of these neurotransmitters is actually found in the name of the elements, and that is to transmit messages from one neuron to the other. There are several types of these neurotransmitters and our main point of focus in this case will be those that are actually associated with schizophrenia and the very first and common one is Dopamine. As we have seen this condition affects the thinking of the patient and at some point are not in a position to distinguish between fantasy and the realities of life, now this is one element of an individual that is controlled by dopamine, dopamine is actually responsible for the movement of thoughts within an individual now these thoughts are actually what helps an individual to make some distinction between the facts and fantasy that is why you find an individual is not actually able to make distinction between fantasy and reality when they are affected as a result of schizophrenia.

The other neurotransmitter that is involved with this disorder is glutamate, this one is responsible for the brain and memory development, so basically this will have some direct impact on the condition because schizophrenia has some direct relation to the brain and the memory of an individual. When the glutamate neurotransmitter is not working well then apparently this condition will show up in an individual.

The brain is made up of several nerve cells called neurons and chemicals that are secreted in these cells are called neurotransmitters. “The symptomology of schizophrenia is thought to be associated with a neurotransmitter called dopamine which is believed to be the cause of the disease” (Singer et al., 2015). Moreover, recent studies show that serotonin is another neurotransmitter that is a cause of the symptoms of the disorder. Brain activity in an affected and healthy one differ. The brain with schizophrenia produces neurotransmitters between neurons. This gives a rise to the symptoms of the disorder this is because the neurotransmitters that are involved with this condition that is dopamine and serotonin are reduced in the system of the patient so you find that at the end of the day the impulses are not transmitted like the thoughts are not transmitted effectively and then the individual is not able to reason and decide properly. On the other side when they are produced properly the condition will be put under control within the individual and the disorder will be contained.

Dopamine

The dopamine hypothesis has been the main argument that is believed to be the cause of schizophrenia symptoms. The researchers in the field believe that the symptoms of the disorder are as a result of too much secretion of dopamine in the brain. To treat the disease, antipsychotic drugs can be used block the transmission of dopamine hence improving the symptoms.

Serotonin

Newer theories have countered the previous arguments believing that the symptoms of the disorder are caused by serotonin neurotransmitter and not dopamine.

The anatomical changes in the brain as a result of schizophrenia are explained by cognitive insufficiencies and other psychopathological symptoms. “The several anatomical changes that can be observed include in areas such as the hippocampus, temporal lobe, the ventricular system, the septum pellucidum, white and grey matter and the cerebellum” (Ellison-Wright et al., 2008). For instance, people who have been victims of the disorder are said to have smaller hippocampus structure to the right. Also, the analysis shows that they have reduced the size of both the middle and the upper bends in the left hemisphere. There is also reduced size of the cerebellum, a reduction in cortical thickness in the frontotemporal area.

Neurotransmitters are related to a number of anatomical features and resultant symptoms. One of the anatomical features related to neurotransmitters is lateral-occipital cortex. Depending on the nature of neurons transmitted to the cortex, it structures changes from one form to another. The neurotransmitter is also related to the lateral-occipital cortex, the linguistic cortex, and the temporal-occipital cortex. It sends neurons to these anatomical features. People suffering from schizophrenia experience anatomical changes and portray various symptoms. The neurotransmitter is also linked to the resultant symptoms. Patients suffering from Schizophrenia portray symptoms such as hallucination, cognitive impairment, social withdrawal, delusions. Structural changes of anatomical features result to these symptoms. Hallucination is a situation where an individual perceives something that is not real. These occur due to changes in the manner in which the neurotransmitter sends nerve impulses to various structures of the brain. The hypothalamus controls emotions in the body. When there are some elements of variation in the transmission of nerve impulses by the transmitter to the hypothalamus there is normally some significant emotional changes in the schizophrenia patient so in some way the disorder is accelerated (Ellison-Wright, Glahn, Laird, Thelen & Bullmore, 2008).

The behavior of an individual suffering from Schizophrenia is based on the neuroanatomical and neurotransmitter changes as a result of the disorder. The nervous system of schizophrenia patients is different from that of normal patients. Neuroanatomy is the anatomy of the nervous system. Changes in the mechanism by which neurotransmitters transmit impulses affect the behavior of the patients. For instance, changes in the neuroanatomical structure of the cerebellum affect the behavior of an individual. All this is attributed to changes in neurotransmission. “Scientist uses behavioral, neuroanatomical and neurotransmitter changes to treat the disorder” (Kavalali, 2015).

Treatment

Conclusion

References

Kavalali, E. T. (2015). The mechanisms and functions of spontaneous neurotransmitter release. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(1), 5.

Tritsch, N. X., Granger, A. J., & Sabatini, B. L. (2016). Mechanisms and functions of GABA co-release. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17(3), 139.

Uhlhaas, P. J., & Singer, W. (2015). Oscillations and neuronal dynamics in schizophrenia: the search for basic symptoms and translational opportunities. Biological Psychiatry, 77(12), 1001-1009.

Ellison-Wright, I., Glahn, D. C., Laird, A. R., Thelen, S. M., & Bullmore, E. (2008). The anatomy of first-episode and chronic schizophrenia: an anatomical likelihood estimation meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165(8), 1015-1023.