Schizophrenia

Research on Schizophrenia

Marinda Thomas

Psych/650

10/19/2015

Mrs. Woods

Research on Schizophrenia

Throughout this paper I will discuss schizophrenia in depth. I will conceptualize the term as well as show the different treatments available. I will discuss the stages of diagnosis and what can be expected. Schizophrenia has been labeled a unique disease entity for centuries. This disease is not curable but can be controlled with medications.

Characteristics

A patient must present with two or more of the following for thirty days to be diagnosed with schizophrenia: hallucinations, disorganized speech, catatonic behavior, negative symptoms (lack of speech), and delusions. (NIMH, 2009). A person suffering with this disorder may hear voices in their head telling them to do things (command hallucinations). They may talk to themselves as well. In general schizophrenia can present with many different underlying factors. For example schizophrenics may feel that a person or group of people are out to harm them (paranoid delusions).

There are three main types of Schizophrenias. Paranoid Schizophrenia is the first type; people with this type suffer with grandiose delusions and preoccupation with persecutory. Disorganized Schizophrenia is the second one; these people suffer with behavior and speech issues, which has a flat inappropriate affect. The third is Catatonic Schizophrenia; in which the person suffers from purposeless excessive motor activity or becomes immobile, peculiar movements, echolalia or echopraxia. (NIMH, 2009).

Evaluate Peer Reviewed Research Analysis

I chose three different peer reviewed articles on Schizophrenia in research analysis. In the research analysis that I reviewed they covered brain imaging in schizophrenics. In the analysis of “Who’s Talking to Me” there were magnetic resonance images taken of 39 patients who were right handed that presented with persistent auditory hallucinations and there were 19 other subjects that are...