Schizophrenia study notes

 Types of Schizophrenia.

 

Understanding "Types" of Schizophrenia

It is no longer DSM-5 types of Schizophrenia are in three group categories.

Paranoid: Fear others are out there to harm them.

Catatonic: Physically and mentally.

 Disorganised (Hebephrenic): Disorganised speech and communication.

Undifferentiated: Used when a patient exhibits mixed symptoms that do not neatly fit into a single category.

Residual: Diagnosed when major acute psychotic symptoms have faded, but milder lingering signs like lack of motivation or social withdrawal remain. [

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, characterised by a mix of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms.

 

 (Positive vs. Negative

Symptoms

In schizophrenia, "positive or negative” does not mean good; it means symptoms that are added or represent an excess of normal function.

While "negative" means capabilities or behaviours that are taken away or reduced.

 

Paranoid: Marked by intense delusions of persecution or grandiosity, often paired with auditory hallucinations, while speech and emotions may remain intact

 

 Positive Symptoms (Additions to behaviour or perception)

Hallucinations: Sensing things that do not exist, such as hearing voices, seeing things, or feeling tactile sensations.

Delusions: Firmly held false beliefs that are not based in reality, such as paranoia or thinking one has special powers.

 Disorganised thinking and speech: Jumbled, incoherent speech or rapidly switching between unrelated topics.

Disorganised or catatonic behaviour: Unpredictable movements, bizarre actions, or trouble performing daily tasks.

 

 Negative Symptoms (Reductions in normal function) Flat affect:

 A severe reduction in emotional expression, showing little facial expression or a dull voice tone.

 Avolition: A total lack of drive or motivation to start and complete goals or daily activities. Anhedonia:

The inability to experience pleasure from normal daily activities or hobbies. Sociality and withdrawal: A lack of interest in social interactions and withdrawal from friends or family.

Alogia: Reduced or minimal speech. treatmentsschizophrenia-positive-negative-and-cognitive-symptoms/).

Causes of Schizophrenia

The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown, but researchers believe it results from a combination of factors: Genetics: The condition often runs in families, meaning inherited genes increase risk.

Brain chemistry and structure: Imbalances in brain chemicals like dopamine and glutamate, along with differences in brain structure, play a major role.

Environmental factors: Exposure to viruses, malnutrition before birth, or stressful life events can trigger disorder in vulnerable people.

Diagnosis criteria used by mental health professionals: Treatment options like medications and therapy, and early warning signs during the teenage years.

 

 

Medical guidelines in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) no longer officially diagnose specific subtypes like paranoid or catatonic schizophrenia.

Doctors now view the condition on a spectrum of symptom dimensions. However, older sub-categories are still commonly referenced to describe specific clinical presentations: Paranoid: Marked by intense delusions of persecution or grandiosity, often paired with auditory hallucinations, while speech and emotions may remain intact.

 (treatments), (Hebephrenic): Marked by disorganized behavior, incoherent or jumbled speech, and flattened or inappropriate emotional responses. Involves drastic motor disturbances, ranging from a complete lack of movement and rigidity to excessive, purposeless activity.

 (Symptoms that do not neatly fit into a single category. Residual: Diagnosed when major acute psychotic symptoms have faded, but milder lingering signs like lack of motivation or social withdrawal remain

Symptoms are generally grouped into three main categories:1. Positive Symptoms (Abnormally Present)

Delusions: Fixed false beliefs that persist despite clear contradictory evidence, such as believing someone is plotting against you or that you possess special powers.

Hallucinations: Sensing things that do not exist externally; hearing voices is the most frequent form.

Disorganised Speech: Trouble structuring thoughts, resulting in jumping between unrelated topics or speaking incoherently

. Abnormal Motor Behaviour: Bizarre, repetitive, or unpredictable physical movements. [1] (https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/conditions/schizophrenia), [2] (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4568-schizophrenia)2. Negative Symptoms (Abnormally Absent): Avolition: A severe drop in the drive to initiate and sustain purposeful activities

. Flattened Affect: Reduced facial expressions or a monotone voice.

Anhedonia: The decreased ability to experience pleasure in daily life.

Asociality: A reduced desire to engage in social contact

Difficulty focusing or paying attention.

 Impaired working memory or trouble using information to make decisions.