Schizophrenia and Gene’s
Schizophrenia and Gene’s
Carhy Chapman
PSYC3110
Theories of Abnormal Behavior
Capella University
January 2016
Schizophrenia and Gene’s To say that schizophrenia is a disorder that is challenging is an understatement. Schizophrenia makes it hard for someone to know the difference amongst the unreal and the real. Schizophrenia also makes it difficult for someone to understand things without any doubts, control emotions, relate to other individuals, and to function as a normal human being. The initial step is to know the symptoms and signs of schizophrenia. The next step is to find assistance without any hindrance. The internal suffering of the person with schizophrenia is often readily apparent, as are bizarre behavior and unusual appearance (Butcher, Hooley, & Mineka, 2014). A disorder in the brain that changes the way we act, think, or view the outside world is called Schizophrenia. Individuals with schizophrenia sometimes have a skewed outlook of real world. These individuals hear or see things that might not exist, talk in odd or disoriented ways, they truly believe that those around them wish them harm, or feel as though they are being watched constantly. This kind of rationalization can make it hard to discuss the actions of everyday life, and individuals who have schizophrenia might retreat from the world outside or lash out in fear and confusion. In some people, schizophrenia appears suddenly and without a warning. For most schizophrenics, it may approach slowly, with minor signs of warning and a steady and slow deterioration in some functioning ahead of the initial relentless incident. In this beginning phase, people who have schizophrenia sometimes appear reclusive, eccentric, emotional and unmotivated. These individuals remove themselves, begin disregarding how they appear, say unusual things, and display an indifference to life. They may give up on
Schizophrenia and Gene’s activities, and their school or work performance deteriorates. Some early signs of schizophrenia are: social withdrawal, depression, a strange way of speaking or use of words, and insomnia or oversleeping. Schizophrenia has five types of symptoms: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior and speech. These are all strictly negative symptoms. The symptoms or signs of schizophrenia change greatly from individual to individual, both in pattern and harshness. Not all individuals with schizophrenia show all of these manifestations, and the manifestations of schizophrenia can also alter over time. Schizophrenia is a upsetting disorder that e delusions, hallucinations, agitation and paranoia. Schizophrenia influences around one in 100 individuals in the U.S., its symptoms usually appear first amid the ages of 16 and 30. Schizophrenia’s roots have long been argued, especially concerning whether genetics plays a part. Several regions of the human genome are being investigated to identify genes that may confer susceptibility for schizophrenia. The strongest evidence to date leads to chromosomes 13 and 6 but remains unconfirmed. Identification of specific genes involved in the development of schizophrenia will provide important clues into what goes wrong in the brain to produce and sustain the illness and will guide the development of new and better treatments (Spearing, 2002).
Schizophrenia and Gene’s The biggest-ever genetic research study of schizophrenia has concluded that 128 gene variations are connected with schizophrenia, in 108 specific positions in the human genome. These findings bury any dispute that genetics plays no role in schizophrenia. The Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (Ripke, 2014) is a group from 35 countries and over 300 scientists. This group collaborated together in this research. The experimenters distinguished the entire genomes of nearly 37,000 individuals with schizophrenia and with over 113,000 individuals who do not have schizophrenia, in a genome-wide association study (GWAS). A series of molecular matches create DNA, or genetic material. Thousands of these molecules strand together to structure genes. The GWAS include keeping a record of commonly known mutations in these matches, in individuals without and with a certain type of condition. Therapy or treatments for schizophrenia have not moved forward in more than 50 or so years, drugs were discovered that can diminish the life of the chemical dopamine. A principle theory has focused attention on an uncontrollable dopamine signal. One of the known areas has a gene which gives this type of dopamine receptor that is blocked by antipsychotic drugs. Glutamate is another one of the brain's chemicals that has also been given attention, but in clinical trials medication that target it did not do so well. Medications from the past have not done so well perhaps because, these drugs aimed for the wrong type of glutamate receptor; these genetic results from this study will assist medication developers to target their attempts in developing a drug to battle schizophrenia. Schizophrenia and Gene’s The significance of some of the additional data is less clear. Genes associated to the immune system were suspected in playing a part in schizophrenia, as were genes associated with smoking. These discoveries do not mean that immunity is connected to schizophrenia or that the cause of schizophrenia is smoking. Therapeutic stasis is in large part a consequence of the fact that the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is unknown. Identifying the causes of schizophrenia is therefore a critical step towards improving treatments and outcomes for those with the disorder (Ripke, 2014). A significant overall outcome is that schizophrenia is a complicated characteristic unlike any other, but this does not necessarily mean that it will remain a mystery. Research from GWAS’s past has guided breakthroughs for other health issues with roots tangles in the environment and genetics, like Crohn’s disease and diabetes, and specialists trust that this research will do the equivalent for schizophrenia. Unfortunately schizophrenia is found in many individuals from all over the world and from different cultures. Whether schizophrenia is viewed from the biological or sociocultural viewpoint, it is a disorder that is very real and we must view it from many angles to possible find a cure for schizophrenia. The human race can only benefit from these studies and research. With the proper backing and treatment, an individual that has schizophrenia can have a fruitful and happy life.
Schizophrenia and Gene’s
References:
Butcher, J. N., Hooley, J. M., & Mineka, S. M. (2014). Abnormal Psychology (16th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Ripke, S. et al. Nature, (2014). Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, (2014). “Biological insights from 108 schizophrenia-associated genetic loci” published in Nature. DOI: 10.10 38/nature13595. Retrieved from: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v511/n7510/full/nature13595.html
Spearing, M., (2002). Schizophrenia.com-Overview of Schizophrenia. Retrieved from: http://www.schizophrenia.com/family/sz.overview.htm 