Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to recognize what is real. People with the disorder may hear voices other people don’t hear. They may believe other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. This can terrify people with the illness and make them withdrawn or extremely agitated.
Causes
It’s not known what causes schizophrenia, but researchers believe that a combination of genetics and environment contributes to development of the disorder.
Problems with certain naturally occurring brain chemicals, including neurotransmitters called dopamine and glutamate, also may contribute to schizophrenia. Neuroimaging studies show differences in the brain structure and central nervous system of people with schizophrenia. While researchers aren’t certain about the significance of these changes, they support evidence that schizophrenia is a brain disease.
The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three broad categories: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms.
Positive symptoms
Positive symptoms are psychotic behaviors not seen in healthy people. People with positive symptoms often “lose touch” with reality. These symptoms can come and go. Sometimes they are severe and at other times hardly noticeable, depending on whether the individual is receiving treatment. They include the following:
- Hallucinations are things a person sees, hears, smells, or feels that no one else can see, hear, smell, or feel. “Voices” are the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia. Many people with the disorder hear voices. The voices may talk to the person about his or her behavior, order the person to do things, or warn the person of danger. Sometimes the voices talk to each other. People with schizophrenia may hear voices for a long time before family and friends notice the problem. Other types of hallucinations include seeing people or objects that are not there, smelling odors that no one else detects, and feeling things like invisible fingers touching their bodies when no one is near.
- Delusions are false beliefs that are not part of the person’s culture and do not change. The person believes delusions even after other people prove that the beliefs are not true or logical. People with schizophrenia can have delusions that seem bizarre, such as believing that neighbors can control their behavior with magnetic waves. They may also believe that people on television are directing special messages to them, or that radio stations are broadcasting their thoughts aloud to others. Sometimes they believe they are someone else, such as a famous historical figure. They may have paranoid delusions and believe that others are trying to harm them, such as by cheating, harassing, poisoning, spying on, or plotting against them or the people they care about. These beliefs are called “delusions of persecution.”
- Thought disorders are unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking. One form of thought disorder is called “disorganized thinking.” This is when a person has trouble organizing his or her thoughts or connecting them logically. They may talk in a garbled way that is hard to understand. Another form is called “thought blocking.” This is when a person stops speaking abruptly in the middle of a thought. When asked why he or she stopped talking, the person may say that it felt as if the thought had been taken out of his or her head. Finally, a person with a thought disorder might make up meaningless words, or “neologisms.”
- Movement disorders may appear as agitated body movements. A person with a movement disorder may repeat certain motions over and over. In the other extreme, a person may become catatonic. Catatonia is a state in which a person does not move and does not respond to others. Catatonia is rare today, but it was more common when treatment for schizophrenia was not available.
Negative symptoms
Negative symptoms are associated with disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors. These symptoms are harder to recognize as part of the disorder and can be mistaken for depression or other conditions. These symptoms include the following:
- “Flat affect” (a person’s face does not move or he or she talks in a dull or monotonous voice)
- Lack of pleasure in everyday life
- Lack of ability to begin and sustain planned activities
- Speaking little, even when forced to interact.
- People with negative symptoms need help with everyday tasks. They often neglect basic personal hygiene. This may make them seem lazy or unwilling to help themselves, but the problems are symptoms caused by the schizophrenia.
Cognitive symptoms
Cognitive symptoms are subtle. Like negative symptoms, cognitive symptoms may be difficult to recognize as part of the disorder. Often, they are detected only when other tests are performed. Cognitive symptoms include the following:
- Poor “executive functioning” (the ability to understand information and use it to make decisions)
- Trouble focusing or paying attention
- Problems with “working memory” (the ability to use information immediately after learning it).
- Cognitive symptoms often make it hard to lead a normal life and earn a living. They can cause great emotional distress.
When doctors suspect someone has schizophrenia, they typically ask for medical and psychiatric histories, conduct a physical exam, and run medical and psychological tests, including:
- Tests and screenings. These may include a lab test called a complete blood count (CBC), other blood tests that may help rule out conditions with similar symptoms, and screening for alcohol and drugs. The doctor may also request imaging studies, such as an MRI or CT scan.
- Psychological evaluation. A doctor or mental health provider will check mental status by observing appearance and demeanor and asking about thoughts, moods, delusions, hallucinations, substance abuse, and potential for violence or suicide.
Diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia
To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, a person must meet the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This manual, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is used by mental health providers to diagnose mental conditions.
Diagnosis of schizophrenia involves ruling out other mental health disorders and determining that symptoms aren’t due to substance abuse, medication or a medical condition. In addition, a person must have at least two of the following symptoms most of the time during a one-month period, with some level of disturbance being present over six months:
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganized speech (indicating disorganized thinking)
- Extremely disorganized behavior
- Catatonic behavior, which can ranges from a coma-like daze to bizarre, hyperactive behavior
- Negative symptoms, which relate to reduced ability or lack of ability to function normally
At least one of the symptoms must be delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech.
The person shows a significant decrease in the ability to work, attend school or perform normal daily tasks most of the time.
The American Psychiatric Association eliminated the previous subtypes of schizophrenia – paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated and residual because of poor reliability. These subtypes weren’t shown to be valid and didn’t help in determining which treatment might be best for a specific subtype.
A psychiatrist experienced in treating schizophrenia usually guides treatment. The treatment team also may include a psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse and possibly a case manager to coordinate care. The full-team approach may be available in clinics with expertise in schizophrenia treatment.
Medications
Antipsychotic medicines are the most effective treatment for schizophrenia. They change the balance of chemicals in the brain and can help control symptoms.
While helpful, these medicines can cause side effects. Many side effects can be managed though. For this reason, they should not prevent the person from getting treated for this serious condition.
Common side effects from antipsychotics may include:
- Dizziness
- Feelings of restlessness or jitteryness
- Sleepiness (sedation)
- Slowed movements
- Tremor
- Weight gain
Long-term use of antipsychotic medicines may increase the risk of a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia. This condition causes repeated movements that the person cannot control. Call the health care provider right away if you think you or your family member may have this condition due to the medicine.
Support Programs and Therapies
Support therapy may be helpful for many people with schizophrenia. Behavioral techniques, such as social skills training, can help the person function better in social and work situations. Job training and relationship-building classes are also important.
Family members and caregivers are very important in the treatment of schizophrenia. Important skills that may be learned at such programs include:
- Coping with symptoms that are present even while taking medicines
- A healthy lifestyle, including getting enough sleep and staying away from recreational drugs
- Taking medicines correctly and how to manage side effects
- Watching for the return of symptoms, and knowing what to do when they return
- Getting the right support services
Schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment, even when symptoms have subsided. Treatment with medications and psychosocial therapy can help manage the condition. During crisis periods or times of severe symptoms, hospitalization may be necessary to ensure safety, proper nutrition, adequate sleep and basic hygiene.
Prognosis
Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent many unnecessary complications and improve the chance of recovery, so if you’re worried that you or someone you care about has schizophrenia, don’t hesitate to seek help.
