Abstract
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that causes people to interpret reality abnormally. The disease is chronic, allowing it to potentially last for a span of years and must be medically diagnosed, with the possibility of medical treatment which can help. Schizophrenia often can result in hallucinations, disordered thinking as well as delusions. Although the specific cause of the disease is not formally known, genetics may assist in playing a role. The disease proves to not be a single disease, but instead, it is composed of a group of eight genetically distinct disorders in which all have their own associated symptoms. A large percent of potential risk for Schizophrenia is known to actually be inherited. The Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 3 (NPAS3) is a protein coding gene and is a member of the basic helix-loop—helix and PAS domain containing family of transcription factors. Specifically, the encoded protein is localized within the nucleus and can regulate genes involved in the process of neurogenesis. Furthermore, NPAS3 has been linked with responsibility for the development of Schizophrenia. Mental and brain disorders are consistently growing in the amount of information and new developments that are being discovered. Furthermore, the amount of information that has been discovered in regards to the disorder Schizophrenia is consistently developing.
It has been a struggle to determine specific genes that are associated with the Schizophrenia condition. Scientists
Research by Mikaywa et al has found that there must be a genetic explanation of schizophrenia due to the fact that concordance rates for environmental causes are not 100%. Also Mikaywa noticed that schizophrenia runs in the family, meaning there must be something other than environmental causes, causing the disorder. What Mikaywa studied was DNA from human families who were affected by schizophrenia and found that those with the disorder are more likely to have the defective gene: PPP3CC. The PPP3CC gene regulates the immune system, and therefore is an important gene in terms of genetic vulnerabilities which may be
Genetic factors of schizophrenia can be explained using studies on twins and studies on family history. With twin studies researchers want to establish the degree of concordance. This is
In 1979, Iconic pin up model Bettie Page, diagnosed with schizophrenia and confined to a psychiatric hospital for nearly 10 years. According to NIHI, most people with this disorder are diagnosed in their 20’s and this disease effects less than one percent of the population. New research findings published to the American Journal of Psychology by Washington University School of Medicine, show a link between genetic disposition and the onset of schizophrenia. Researchers analyzed the genes of 4,200 patients that were diagnosed with Schizophrenia and 3,800 patients with no history of schizophrenia. The research concluded that certain genetic make ups can put individuals at an increased risk for developing schizophrenia.
Two Biological Explanations of Schizophrenia There are many biological explanations of schizophrenia. In this essay I will concentrate on the genetic explanation and biochemical explanation of the disorder. There are many studies that look in to genetics and the link to schizophrenia. This is dues to an original finding that schizophrenia runs in families and therefore suggests that genes are responsible for the disorder.
SMAGLIK, PAUL. "Schizophrenia's Genetic Spark." Discover 38.1 (2017): 60. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.)
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder characterized by distorted thinking, impaired emotional responses, poor interpersonal skills and a distortion of reality. It is the most common of psychotic disorders that, in most countries around the world, affects around 1 per cent of the population. In terms of explanations for the disorder, two central types of explanations arise – psychological explanations and biological explanations. Whereas psychological explanations tend to focus on cognitive, emotional and environmental factors that may cause the disorder, biological explanations tend to focus on genetic, biochemical and neuro-anatomical factors as the cause of the
This paper defines schizophrenia from a biological and psychological perspective and also provides treatment to help combat symptoms of schizophrenia. This paper has three important contributions. First, by defining and expanding on schizophrenia from a biological perspective, I can identify the nature related predispositions. After expanding from a biological approach, secondly, I will analyze schizophrenia from a psychological aspect by determining if there is any environment or nurturing externals that can result to schizophrenia. Lastly, I will provide treatment details and also reveal early signs to schizophrenia. This paper is important because schizophrenia is an epic mental disease and it is crucially important to bring awareness to the public of how we can limit the illness. It is unclear whether schizophrenia have only a biological background or psychological background, but what was discovered is that both contribute to schizophrenia. Positive and negative treatment can be combatted undergoing pharmaceutical and psychotherapy,
Schizophrenia can be passed down thru generations even though there is not a specific gene associated with the disorder. It is considered to be a combination of genes that make a person susceptible to becoming schizophrenic. This information is found mainly thought the study of twins. By having the same genes it can be viewed why genes contribute to the potential of schizophrenia. Even though genetics is a viable factor in the analysis of the cause of schizophrenia there are more supporting factors found in neurotransmitters.
Intro This essay will outline and evaluate the social, biological and psychological aspects of schizophrenia. Biological There are two main biological explanations for schizophrenia, known also as “medical model”, the genetic and dopamine hypothesis. Studies in DNA of schizophrenic families showed a defected gene, PP3CC. The PP3CC is important gene for the regulation of human immune system; therefore any genetic vulnerability can cause problems to the system.
Schizophrenia is a life-long disorder that affects about one percent of the population (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). The cause of this mental illness is still unclear. Studies have suggested that Schizophrenia does not arise from one factor but from a combination of genetic, environmental, and social factors (Liddle, 1987). People diagnosed with Schizophrenia struggle to deal with a multitude of symptoms that make it difficult to function (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). Antipsychotic medications are a popular treatment of the symptoms of Schizophrenia (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). Research is constantly being done to develop these medications to enhance the quality of life of those diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a very serious, long-term disorder that affects about 1% of the world’s population. It affects people anywhere from twenty years old, to forty-five years old. It is known to be one of the most disabling diseases in this age group. Schizophrenia can break down a person’s behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. People who suffer from schizophrenia usually show very inappropriate displays of their actions and feelings. Sufferers have been known to hear voices, even when there is nobody around them. They have problems controlling their thoughts, and sometimes blurt out things that are very inappropriate. This paper will outline the biological, social, and psychological
These scientists identified 128 independent associations with schizophrenia encompassing 108 loci, 83 of which had not been previously reported. They found that among the loci that they identified, there was no evidence of non-additive or epistatic effects. 75% of the 108 loci identified in this study include genes that code for proteins and an additional 8% are located within 20kb of a gene. They found that there was an association with CACNA1C, CACNB2, and CACNA1I, which code for subunits of voltage gated calcium channels and have been suggested to play a role in other psychiatric disorders in addition to schizophrenia. Quantitative trait loci, those that regulate the expression of mRNA, were also implicated in conferring a risk for schizophrenia. There were also higher levels of expression of schizophrenia risk genes in tissues associated with immune function, which supports the hypothesis that immune dysregulation plays a role in schizophrenia. They also found that copy number variations that were linked to schizophrenia overlapped with those that are associated with autism spectrum disorder and other intellectual disabilities (Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, 2014). However, some scientists hypothesize that genes alone are not sufficient for the development of schizophrenia
The two-hit model of schizophrenia proposes that disturbances to central nervous system development, leaves a person exposed to the onset of schizophrenia symptoms caused by various gene-environmental interactions. The disturbances to central nervous system development are the first hit in the two-hit model, and the gene-environmental interactions that are able to cause the onset of schizophrenia in conjunction with the disturbances to central nervous system development are the second hit in the two-hit model.
While there is no cure for schizophrenia, research is leading to new, safer treatments. Experts also are unraveling the causes of the disease by studying genetics, conducting behavioral research, and by using advanced imaging to look at the brain’s structure and function. These novel approaches hold the promise of new, more effective therapies.
The person I chose came from a famous novel and has schizophrenia. According to Mayo Clinic “Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior. Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not a split personality or multiple personality. The word "schizophrenia" does mean "split mind," but it refers to a disruption of the usual balance of emotions and thinking. Schizophrenia is a chronic condition, requiring lifelong treatment.”(Schizophrenia, August 2014). The individual would start showing signs of reduced pleasure in life, difficulty participating in activities, barely speaking,