SCHIZOPHRENIA MEDICATIONS AND THERAPIES

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Schizophrenia Medications & Therapies. Yessica Vega Academy for the Arts, Science & Technology. March 27, 2014

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder in which an individual cannot clarify what is real and what is not. There are five types of schizophrenia: catatonic, paranoid, disorganized, undifferentiated, and residual. The cause is still unknown, but researchers believe that it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors can contribute to a development of this disease. Antipsychotics are the main medicine that schizophrenia patients have to take, but like any other medicine it has its side effects. The side effects are so strong that schizophrenia patients quit taking their medications and relapse, or end up at the hospital. The goal was to research what medications work best or what therapies were best for schizophrenia patients.

History

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The word schizophrenia is 100 years old; however the disease was first identified as a discreet mental illness by Dr.Emil Kraepelin in 1887. One of the first to classify the mental disorders into different categories was Emil Kraepelin. Dr.Kraepelin used the term dementia praecox for individuals who had symptoms of what we now associate schizophrenia. Dr. Kraepelin believed that dementia praecox was primarily a disease of the brain, and a particular form of dementia. He name the disease dementia praecox to distinguish it from others forms of dementia; such as Alzheimers disease, which typically occur later in life. Psychiatrist Bleuler, coined the term to schizophrenia in 1911. He was also the first to describe the symptoms as positive or negative. Psychiatrist Bleuler change the name to schizophrenia since it was obvious that kraepelins name was misleading as the illness was not dementia; since it did not always lead to mental deterioration and could sometimes occur late as early life. Both Bleuler and Kraepelin subdivided schizophrenia into categories, based on important symptoms and prognoses. Five types were described: disorganized, catatonic, paranoid, residual, and undifferentiated. The evidence that schizophrenia is a biological based disease of the brain was accumulated rapidly during the past two decades. Recently this evidence has also been supported with dynamic brain imaging systems that show very precisely the wave of the tissue destruction that takes place in the brain that is suffering from schizophrenia, with the rapid advances in the genetics of human disease now taking place, the future looks bright that effective therapies and eventually cures.

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Basic Information
Schizophrenia symptoms can contribute to other mental illness. In men, schizophrenia symptoms will start in teen years or early 20s. In women, schizophrenia symptoms will begin in their 20s or early 30s. It is uncommon for children and individuals older than 45 to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia symptoms developed slowly over time, sometimes an individual may have no symptoms, others not so many. Individuals with schizophrenia have anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behavior. Early symptoms can include: trouble concentrating, trouble sleeping. As the illness continues, individuals can experience symptoms such as: bizarre behaviors, hallucinations, isolation, reduced emotion, trouble concentrating, delusions, and loose association.

Types of Schizophrenia
(Symptoms of each type of Schizophrenia).
There are five types of schizophrenia: catatonic, paranoid, disorganized, undifferentiated, and residual. Catatonic schizophrenia is extreme immobility and unresponsiveness, while other times

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it is like a copy-cat behavior. Symptoms can include: immobility, autism, or persistent refusal of orders and instruction without reason (Krans 2010, p.5). Paranoid schizophrenia involves delusions or hallucinations. Symptoms can include: anxiety, anger, argumentative behavior, and persecutory delusions that may involved violence and suicidal, but has great ability to become functionally stable over time (Krans 2010, p.3). Disorganized schizophrenia includes different types of disorganization in speech and behavior. The individual can talk off-topic or give answers unrelated to whats being asked. The symptoms can include: flat expressions, and odd behavior (Krans 2010, p. 4). Undifferentiated schizophrenia is when an individual has symptoms from different types of schizophrenia. Residual schizophrenia is when an individual has at least one episode, but does not show any positive at all. The negative symptoms can include: disorganized speech, and has unexplainable beliefs (Krans 2010, p.6).

Diagnosis
(Medications)

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There are no medical tests that can diagnose schizophrenia. A psychiatrist will examine the individual and make the diagnosis. The diagnosis is based on an interview of the patient and family members. Antipsychotics medicines are the most common medicine for schizophrenia and the most effective treatment. Antipsychotics change the balance of chemicals in the brain and help control symptoms .Even though antipsychotics are helpful, it causes serious side effects. After their first year, schizophrenia patients discontinue their medications, either because of its strong side effects or because it does not work for them. The newer antipsychotics tend to be more effective in treating symptoms of schizophrenia because it has fewer side effects than the traditional antipsychotics (Grohol 2013, last review). The most common side effects of antipsychotics can include: dizziness, feeling of restlessness, sleepiness, slow movements, tremors, and weight gain. Some typical antipsychotics include: Thorazine, Prolixin, among others. There is evidence that both first and second antipsychotics are better than placebo. Yet the firstgeneration antipsychotic seems to be more deficient than second-generation antipsychotics, and Clozapine is above all other antipsychotics in treatment for schizophrenia in children and adolescence (Sarkar 2013, Pp. 439-446). If schizophrenia does not improve with antipsychotics other medications may be tried. Support therapy may be helpful for individuals with schizophrenia, behavioral techniques, such as: social skills training; can help the individual function better in social and working situations.

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Conclusion
The outlook for schizophrenia is hard to predict, usually over time the symptoms will improve with medications. Currently, schizophrenia cannot be cured but the outlook for individuals with schizophrenia is improving. Schizophrenia cannot be prevented. In conclusion, medications are helpful for individuals with schizophrenia. Even though medications are helping individuals with schizophrenia, taking some type of therapy can help decrease symptoms and lower the rates of relapsed in patients. Combining medications and psychosocial intervention may improve comprehension, quality of life, and social functioning rather than just medications, (JAMA and archive journals, 2010).

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