SCHIZOPHRENIA

Schizophrenia is one of the most common, devastating, neuropsychiatric illnesses present in the human population.

CAUSES

• Complex dopamine dysregulation occurs, with hyperdopaminergic activity
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• A drop in performance at school
• Trouble sleeping
• Irritability or depressed mood
• Lack of motivation
• Family history of schizophrenia
• Alcohol
• Drug addiction
• Stress
• Depression
• Use of INSECTICIDE,PESTICIDE,RODENTICIDE,WEEDICIDE in agriculture

1. Organophosphorus Poison(Op Poison)-Malathoin, Tetron, Parathion,Chlorthoin,Diazion(Tik 20)
2. Organo Chlorines-Ddt,Aldrin,Endrin,Endosulfan,Benzene Hexa Chloride
3. Paraquat(Weedol)
4. Flourides(Sodium Flourides)
5. Zinc Phosphide
6. Aluminum Phosphide

CLINICAL FEATURES

1.THOUGHT AND SPEECH DISORDERS

• Autistic thinking is one of the most classical features of schizophrenia. Here thinking is governed by private and illogical rules. The patient may consider two things identical because they have identical predicates or properties.
• Loosening of associations is a pattern of spontaneous speech in which things said in juxtaposition lack a meaningful relationship.
• Shifting from one frame of reference to another. The speech is often described as being ‘disjointed’.
• The loosening becomes very severe, speech becomes virtually incomprehensible. This is then known as
• Thought blocking -sudden interruption of stream of speech before the thought is completed.
• Neologisms are newly formed words or phrases whose derivation cannot be understood.
• Normal words are used in an unconventional or distorted way but the derivation can be under stood, even if bizarre. These are called word approximations or
• Mutism (with no speech production).
• Poverty of speech (decreased speech production).
• Poverty of ideation (speech amount is adequate but content conveys little information)
• Echolalia (repetition or echoing by the patient of the words or phrases of examiner)
• Verbigeration (senseless repetition of same words or phrases over and over again).

Delusions–These are false beliefs that are not based in reality.

The commonly seen delusions in schizophrenia include:

1. Delusions of persecution (being persecuted against, e.g. ‘people are against me’).
2. Delusions of reference (being referred to by others; e.g. ‘people are talking about me’).

3.Delusions of grandeur (exaggerated self-importance; e.g. ‘I am God almighty’).

4.Delusions of control (being controlled by an external force, known or unknown; e.g. ‘My neighbour is controlling me”).

5. Somatic (or hypochondriacal) delusions (e.g. ‘there are insects crawling in my scalp’).

2.DISORDERS OF PERCEPTION

Hallucinations (perceptions without stimuli) are common in schizophrenia.

Auditory hallucinations are by far the most frequent.

1. Elementary auditory hallucinations (i.e. hearing simple sounds rather than voices)
2. ‘ Thought echo’ (‘ audible thoughts’)

iii. ‘Third person hallucinations’ (‘voices heard arguing’, discussing the patient in third person)

1. ‘Voices commenting on one’s action’. Only the ‘third person hallucinations’ are believed to be characteristic of schizophrenia.

3.DISORDERS OF  AFFECT

• Emotional blunting.
• Emotional shallowness.
• Anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure).
• The difficulty of a patient with schizophrenia in establishing emotional contact with other individuals can lead to lack of rapport with the physician.

4.DISORDERS OF MOTOR BEHAVIOUR

Decreased spontaneity, inertia,  stupor

Excitement

Aggressi veness

Restlessness

Agitation

Decreased self-care  and poor grooming

5.OTHER

Insight (into the illness) is absent and social  judgement is usually poor.

There is usually no clinically significant disturbance of consciousness, orientation, attention, memory and intelligence.

Complications

• Suicide, suicide attempts and thoughts of suicide
• Anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Depression
• Abuse of alcohol or other drugs, including nicotine
• Inability to work or attend school
• Financial problems and homelessness
• Social isolation
• Health and medical problems
• Being victimized
• Aggressive behavior

TREATMENT

HOMEOPATHY

PSYCHOTHERAPY