Schizophrenia is as old as recorded history, but its causes are unclear. That may be changing. Scientists are closing in on genetic factors, and they're investigating the possibility that viruses may somehow trigger it. In the past decade or so, more effective drugs have come on the market, but they can cause weight gain and lethargy, and some people find it difficult to keep on taking them. Researchers hope that figuring out what causes schizophrenia will lead to prevention or an out-and-out cure. Schizophrenia, once it's fully developed, is really not too hard to diagnose, but it is insidious in onset and it is very difficult in a person who's beginning to have just some of these symptoms to know whether or not schizophrenia is really present. So right now our diagnostic methodology, unfortunately, relies on people developing these symptoms and having some life deterioration to know that schizophrenia is really occurring. (Matthysse, S. (1977)
Schizophrenia is an incapacitating psychotic disorder. Neuroimaging, particularly compelling resonance and computed tomography, plays a fundamental role in relating schizophrenia and in characterizing its sequence from mild upbringing symptoms to adult psychosis. Schizophrenia is a harsh, not curable neuropsychiatric disturbance of normal thinking patterns, verbal communication abilities and social behavior that affects 1% of Americans. Even though the word factually means "split brain," schizophrenia should not be confused with multiple personality disorder, a distinct psychopathology. Schizophrenia has its origins in premature brain development however beginning of full-blown, schizophrenic psychosis does not occur until after puberty, characteristically first appearing in women during their 20s and during middle to late adolescence in men. After an early, acute psychotic affair, symptoms more often than not fluctuate and turn out to be more and more debilitating throughout the rest of the patient's life.....................
