Schizophrenia, Depression and Rett syndrome
Schizophrenia:
Video 1 notes:
• The burden and symptoms
◦ Each persons story is unique, they don’t have to have these
symptoms
◦ ‘Umbrella term’
◦ Can make people feel like they are crazy - mainly due to
social stigma
◦ 23 million people worldwide
◦ Affects males more
◦ Affects males who are younger more than younger females
◦ 10% commit suicide, 40% attempt
◦ We need to understand to be able to help them!
◦ 2 groups of symptoms:
‣ Positive
• Any change in behaviour or thoughts
‣ Negative
• A withdrawal or lack of function that you would
usually not expect to see in a healthy person
◦ Have to have 2 or more of the following symptoms for
diagnosis:
‣ Delusions
• Belief that makes you feel paranoid, that someone who
you know is monitoring you or trying to damage you
‣ Hallucinations
• Hear, smell, taste or feel things, can give you
instructions, voices can come from multiple sources
• They feel so real, just like a dream does
• We have this during REM
sleep which causes similar
EEG patterns to when we
are awake, no wonder they
can feel so real
, • FMRI can also monitor this, monitors blood flow in the
brain. When a region is in
use, blood flow increases.
This changes the relative
levels of oxyhemoglobin and
deoxyhemoglobin which
have different magnetic
properties and can be
detected by MRI
• This results in the Blood Oxygen
Level Dependent (BOLD) signal, and
can be colour coded to see active
parts of the brain
• Using this method, scientists could
work out that the auditory cortex
exudes a BOLD signal when a
schizophrenia patient is
experiencing hallucinations and
hearing voices - the person must
perceive the voice as real because
the part of the brain responsible for
processing sounds is triggered
• Broca’s area also has a BOLD signal
during a hallucination
‣ Disorganised speech
• Difficulty focusing
• Can give long rambling monologues
‣ Disorganised or catatonic behaviour
‣ Negative symptoms
• Worse for the patient
• More socially withdrawn, uncomfortable with social
interaction, lack of concentration, bad sleep patterns,
lack of care for hygiene
• Cannot really be diagnosed at this point so people get
isolated by their families who really don’t know what’s
going on - which makes the symptoms worse
◦ You have to have at least 1 of the first 3 symptoms
Schizophrenia:
Video 1 notes:
• The burden and symptoms
◦ Each persons story is unique, they don’t have to have these
symptoms
◦ ‘Umbrella term’
◦ Can make people feel like they are crazy - mainly due to
social stigma
◦ 23 million people worldwide
◦ Affects males more
◦ Affects males who are younger more than younger females
◦ 10% commit suicide, 40% attempt
◦ We need to understand to be able to help them!
◦ 2 groups of symptoms:
‣ Positive
• Any change in behaviour or thoughts
‣ Negative
• A withdrawal or lack of function that you would
usually not expect to see in a healthy person
◦ Have to have 2 or more of the following symptoms for
diagnosis:
‣ Delusions
• Belief that makes you feel paranoid, that someone who
you know is monitoring you or trying to damage you
‣ Hallucinations
• Hear, smell, taste or feel things, can give you
instructions, voices can come from multiple sources
• They feel so real, just like a dream does
• We have this during REM
sleep which causes similar
EEG patterns to when we
are awake, no wonder they
can feel so real
, • FMRI can also monitor this, monitors blood flow in the
brain. When a region is in
use, blood flow increases.
This changes the relative
levels of oxyhemoglobin and
deoxyhemoglobin which
have different magnetic
properties and can be
detected by MRI
• This results in the Blood Oxygen
Level Dependent (BOLD) signal, and
can be colour coded to see active
parts of the brain
• Using this method, scientists could
work out that the auditory cortex
exudes a BOLD signal when a
schizophrenia patient is
experiencing hallucinations and
hearing voices - the person must
perceive the voice as real because
the part of the brain responsible for
processing sounds is triggered
• Broca’s area also has a BOLD signal
during a hallucination
‣ Disorganised speech
• Difficulty focusing
• Can give long rambling monologues
‣ Disorganised or catatonic behaviour
‣ Negative symptoms
• Worse for the patient
• More socially withdrawn, uncomfortable with social
interaction, lack of concentration, bad sleep patterns,
lack of care for hygiene
• Cannot really be diagnosed at this point so people get
isolated by their families who really don’t know what’s
going on - which makes the symptoms worse
◦ You have to have at least 1 of the first 3 symptoms
