Suggested Reading
Catatonia is a disruption of motor, thought, and emotional systems resulting in a broad loss of functioning. It is most commonly associated with stupor and posturing, which result in the individual remaining in a statue-like posture for hours or days without the will or the capacity to adjust their body. This inability to move can result in dehydration and, in severe cases, complete renal failure. Continue reading “Symptom Breakdown: Catatonia”
Suggested Reading
Thought disorders are dysfunctions of thought which tend to manifest in language. This symptom tends to present itself in one or more of the following forms: language derailment, poverty of speech, strained speech, tangential association, illogical language patterns, and/or word substitutions. Continue reading “Symptom Breakdown: Thought Dysfunction in Schizophrenia”
Suggested Reading
Disorganised behavior is the production of inappropriate or bizarre behaviors, including gestures. These behaviors may be in response to environmental stimuli or may be entirely inappropriate for the situation. Continue reading “Symptom Breakdown: Disorganised Behaviour in Schizophrenia”
Recommended Reading
Mini-Review: Dendritic Spine Density
Background Information for Mini-Reviews
In the previous mini-review we explored the differences in dendritic spine density of pyramidal neurons in the brains of people with schizophrenia compared to those without schizophrenia. Due to the severity of this dendritic spine deficiency it seemed unlikely that these pyramidal neurons were otherwise unaffected. Having explored this area of research further, it has become clear that not only do the pyramidal neurons of people with schizophrenia present with fewer spines than those without the illness, but these neurons also show deficiencies in soma size, dendrite length, and dendritic branching. Continue reading “Mini-Review: Morphology of Pyramidal Neurons in Schizophrenia”
Delusions of Control centre around an individual believing that their thoughts and/or actions are being controlled or influenced by outside forces. The ICD-10 has indicated that the common beliefs associated with delusions of control (thought broadcasting, thought insertion, and thought deletion) are individual symptoms of schizophrenia, but in this post I will be addressing the delusions as a single unit. Continue reading “Symptom Breakdown: Delusions of Control in Schizophrenia”
Relevant Pre-Reading:
Recently, theories have been circulating about genes related to schizophrenia potentially being selected for during human evolution. While this may explain the prevalence of schizophrenia, with 0.3-0.7% of people developing the illness at some point in their lives, it is probably too simple of a story. The article we discuss below, by Xu et al. (2015), aims to look much more closely at this phenomenon and determine whether or not it is true. Continue reading “Article: The Role of Human Evolution in the Development of Schizophrenia”
Delusions of grandeur manifest as the belief that the individual is of high social importance, or that they possess highly developed skills of some kind. The individual’s belief in their self-importance is similar to the presentation of narcissistic personality disorder, but occurs only during the psychotic period/acute stage of schizophrenia and is not as extreme in the prodromal or residual stages. Continue reading “Symptom Breakdown: Delusions of Grandeur in Schizophrenia”
Speculative Neuroscience 