Untreated schizophrenia presents the inability to connect with a client’s surrounding environment, usually due to hallucinations or
delusions.
Significant complaints of anhedonia are more likely with major depressive or bipolar disorder. Excessive energy describes a
mania in someone with bipolar disorder. Intense fear that produces sympathetic nervous system symptoms is usually caused
by a panic disorder.
Dysregulation of dopamine and glutamate are contributors to the clinical manifestations experienced by someone with
schizophrenia.
Acetylcholine dysregulation is seen in conditions like dementia. Serotonin and norepinephrine dysregulation are seen in conditions
like depression and other mood disorders.
, Pathophysiology of
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a complex, chronic mental disorder characterized by an array of symptoms, including delusions,
hallucinations, disorganized speech, and impaired cognitive function. The exact pathophysiology remains unclear but likely
involves a combination of genetic, chemical, and environmental factors.
An imbalance of the neurotransmitter dopamine in different areas of the brain is believed to cause many of the symptoms
of schizophrenia. Structural brain abnormalities, including changes in the volume of certain brain regions and altered
neural connectivity, are also observed in studies.
Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter and plays a major role in the regulation of behavior, mood, motivation, and
motor control. Of the five types of dopamine receptors, the D1 family (D1 and D5) are located in the frontal cortex,
caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. The D2 family (D2, D3, and D4) are primarily located in the basal ganglia,
hippocampus, thalamus, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex.
Another neurotransmitter that plays a role in schizophrenia is glutamate . Studies have found lower levels of glutamate in
the cerebral spinal fluid and other areas of the brain in people with schizophrenia. Drugs that block glutamate activity, like ketamine
, can cause symptoms like schizophrenia in people who do not have the illness.
Schizophrenia Risk Factors
The etiology of schizophrenia is multifactorial and may involve both genetic and environmental influences. A family history of
schizophrenia significantly increases the risk
of symptom onset, indicating a during genetic component . Environmental factors
pregnancy, such as maternal infections,
malnutrition, or stress, also add additional risk. Other age at the time of conception , childhood
factors include advanced paternal
trauma, and substance abuse (e.g., during cannabis), especially adolescence.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) may play a role in the development of this
condition. For example, clients of or those lower socioeconomic status forced to live in
areas of high chemical contamination or food deserts are more likely to experience or have children who experience
schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia involves a combination of genetic, neurochemical, and
environmental factors. Dopamine and glutamate dysregulation in some areas of the brain cause symptoms of schizophrenia.