The article Landmark Gene Discovery Open the Black Box of Schizophrenia, written by Carey Goldberg revolves around the life of Sydney and her bout with schizophrenia as well as the discovery of the C4 gene. When Sydney was a senior in high school, she started experiencing delusions and hallucinations which took the forms of demons, President Barack Obama, and other menacing figures. Furthermore, she believed that Justin Bieber was her boyfriend and later on was her husband. Sydney was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a doctor she and her mother Lori went to see after Sydney made her condition aware to her teacher. After being diagnosed, Sydney was enrolled in the Center of Early Detection, Assessment, & Response to Risk (CEDAR).
Annotated Bibliography Chase, Ronald. Schizophrenia. “A Brother Finds Answers in Biological Science.” Library Journal. 2013.
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime, more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, then in women, who are generally affected in the twenties or early thirties. People with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These symptoms may leave them fearful; and withdrawn.
Researchers are uncertain about the causes of schizophrenia
In recent years, the general trend has progressed towards the biogenetic endorsement of Schizophrenia. The biogenetic model focuses on combining two previous models, genetic and biological, into one coherent framework (Angermeyer et al 152). By doing this, the hope that the negatives of one model would be balanced out with the positives of the other model. For example, a consequence of endorsing the genetic model was a phenomena called genetic essentialism. In a case study by Nicolas Rusch, he defines genetic essentialism as a mindset that “…implies that genes are the unchangeable basis of a person’s identity…” which subsequently increased the prejudice against the diagnosed (Rusch pg 328).
The National Institute of Mental Health is a scientific organization who research Mental illness, and have found that there is no single cause of bipolar disorder. A. There are many factors working together to produce bipolar disorder as well as increasing the risk. 1. One of those factors is that it can be genetic. a. Now that means that you’re more likely to have it if someone in your family has it, but it does mean 100 percent that you will.
Patients were treated in this way due the lack of understanding of the neurochemical aspect of Schizophrenia rather than the biological expression of the disorder. With the recent advances in understanding and abilities to see the chemical difference between a person with and without Schizophrenia makes it easier for scientists to understand where the problems lay thus bring one step closer to a solution. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the function of dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway of the brain. This focus largely resulted from the accidental finding that phenothiazine drugs, which block dopamine function, could reduce psychotic symptoms. It is also supported by the fact that amphetamines, which trigger the release of dopamine, may exacerbate the psychotic symptoms in
This essay will contrast the different explanations of schizophrenia, in terms of biological causes, focusing on the idea that schizophrenia is entirely genetic in origin, and as genetic similarity increases so does the risk of developing schizophrenia (Gottesman & Shields, 1982). As well as, psychological explanations such as family environments and interactions, as well as cognitive theories in relation to cognitive deficits and “incorrect inferences” about reality (Sarason et al, 1999). Biological explanations focus on the physiological basis of schizophrenia, whereby individuals have a genetic pre-disposition. Research has shown that biochemical brain abnormalities can lead to the development of schizophrenia. Previously, the “subcortical hyperdopaminergic assumption” suggested that high levels of dopamine triggered schizophrenia
You cannot conclude that at all. The term ‘crazy’ in itself is problematic. Events may have triggered certain episodes, and these factors have an interplay with genetic factors, a phenomenon conceptualized under the name gene-environment interactions.” (Mabunay
Accessed 10 Feb. 2023. Gulli, Laith Farid, MD, et al. " Schizophrenia. " The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, edited by Tracie Moy and Laura Avery, 4th ed.
What are some thoughts that come to mind when a person brings up the word schizophrenia? According to Ford-Martin, “Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder or group of disorders marked by disturbances in thinking, emotional responsiveness, and behavior” (2139). The character, Alice, from the film, Alice in Wonderland is a perfect example of schizophrenia, and the director, Tim Burton, further emphasizes the disorder by his use of film techniques. One characteristic of schizophrenia is delusions. According to Fallon, “The delusions of paranoid schizophrenics usually involve thoughts of being persecuted or harmed by others or exaggerated opinions of their own importance, but may also reflect feelings of jealousy or excessive religiosity” (2957).
Over the next few years, researchers will look to discover more about the rare traits and the forms of genes that arise from schizophrenia (Owen, Sawa, Mortensen, 2016). Another main focus will be to see how much mind functions contribute to it. In order to find this out, researchers will do extensive tests on brain tissue (Owen, Sawa, Mortensen, 2016). In order to expand the horizons of relations that occur between genetic risk and observable characteristics acquired from the environment there will be more detail included on reports going forward. This data is required in order to fathom how genetic risks affect how the brain works and the outcomes of it (Owen, Sawa, Mortensen, 2016).
The symptoms are being divided into negative and positive which include hallucinations, delusions, behavior and disorganized speech. The latter symptoms include avolition, alogia, affective flattening and asociality (MHA, 2014). There is no clear cause of schizophrenia. Some theories about the cause of this disease include genetics, biology and possible viral infections and immune disorders. Scientist have been able to prove this disorder runs in families.
Another possible cause of schizophrenia is brain chemistry. Certain brain chemicals called dopamine and glutamate, contributes to schizophrenia. Those two neurotransmitters help the brain cells communicate with one another. So if some of those neurotransmitters are not there or destroyed then to can cause schizophrenia. Environment is also another possible cause of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a disorder that is characterized by symptoms including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and/or defective signs of emotion and socialization, (Kalat, 2013). It is believed that problems in early brain development lead to the disease later in life, (Fatemi & Folsom, 2009). It is unknown exactly what causes schizophrenia to develop. It is most widely believed that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the manifestation of the disease, but the extent to which each contributes to its occurrence is unknown. It is important to determine what factors increase the risk of schizophrenia to know how it can be prevented.
