Schizophrenia 2 Causes

Ramsis Hanna
2013 / 12 / 3

One of the most important factors that can enable those who have to deal with mental illnesses and physical diseases so as to control them is to know their causes. Without knowing the causes of the illness it will remain in a way´-or-another out of control. Schizophrenia, like any illness, must have some causes, which scientists have been diligently searching for since its discovery and are still working hard to propose theories to explain this mental illness. Some theorists, especially behaviorists, attributed the illness to the individual’s social circumstances--;-- yet, there was hardly any evidence for their assumptions. However some nurture researchers believe that disturbed relations within the home, especially mother-child relationships that are characterized by coldness and rejection, can have their bad effects on the disorders in their children--;-- (Young, 1988).

Although most scientists believe that there is a biological cause of the illness, entailing some sort of “disturbance in the brain”, they cannot exactly define “which biological factors are responsible” for the illness--;-- (Mueser & Gingerich, 2005). “Anatomical studies of the brains of those with schizophrenia, and pharmacological experiments suggested that there are genuine brain abnormalities in those who had the illness”. Nasrallah (1990) and others proved that according to electrophysiological rhythms there are clear differences in the brain structures and --function--s between those with and those without schizophrenia. Rhythm variability is greater in the brains of the people with schizophrenia. Also, current studies connote schizophrenic effects to temporal and front lobe dys--function-- of the central nervous system, which play a crucial role in “self-monitoring, emotional processing, and willed activity”, which are apparently affected negatively by schizophrenia regardless of the differences in degrees of neurodevelopmental effect--;-- (Burke, Gates & Hammond 1995). Some brain study findings show that schizophrenics have larger than normal cerebral ventricles which are the cavities inside the brain. Others have smaller cerebellar vermis, unusual physical´-or---function--al differences between the right and left sides of the brain. Even blood flows in the brains of schizophrenics show abnormal patterns. Studies also have shown abnormal patterns of electrical activity and glucose metabolism--;-- (Young, 1988).

A second theory related to schizophrenic biological causes is the dopamine hypothesis which is based on the idea that attributes schizophrenia to an imbalance in brain chemicals that play a vital part in all --function--al aspects of the brain such as “the ability to think, feel, perceive, and act in a planned, goal---dir--ected” style. To explain this there are some facts about neuron mechanism that should be taken into consideration. All neurons have chemicals which are also called transmitters. Being stored in and released from sacs´-or-vesicles, transmitters leave the neuron itself (the presynaptic neuron) and enter a small space (the synaptic cleft) before being absorbed by another neuron (the postsynaptic neuron)--;-- thus communicating information from “one part of the brain to another”. This process is called neurotransmission during which some of these neurotransmitters´-or-chemicals are reabsorbed into the same vesicles (reuptake) while some others are broken down by other chemicals and excreted through bodily fluids (such as sweat and urine)--;-- (Mueser & Gingerich, 2005). So far scientists have recognized over 50 neurotransmitters among which are dopamine that regulates thoughts and feelings. An imbalance in dopamine in excess relates to schizophrenia. This means that “schizophrenics have an increased number of receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine”--;-- (Young, 1988). To prove their belief that schizophrenia can result from a hypersensitivity to dopamine in certain regions of the brain, scientists say that drugs used to treat the disorder attach to dopamine receptors to prevent it from reaching them while a drugs that increase the brain’s production of dopamine, such as amphetamines, can trigger schizophrenia-like symptoms, (Young, 1988).

Some researchers believe that schizophrenia has also genetic and environmental factors as research has shown that having a close relative with schizophrenia raises a person’s probability of developing the illness by 10% in first degree kinship (like parents´-or-siblings)--;-- (Mueser & Gingerich, 2005). It is clearly evident that some people are vulnerable to schizophrenia by inheritance. Some studies shows that in case of identical twins, if one is inflicted with the disease, the other one will have it by 50%. (Young, 1988). The following table shows the risk rates of developing schizophrenia according to the degrees of kinship. From the table it can be easily noticed that genetic and hereditary vulnerability factors play a crucial role in developing schizophrenia--;-- however, no specific pattern of inheritance has yet been identified. Thus we can come to the conclusion that there are four different factors that can raise the probability of developing schizophrenia: biological vulnerability, stress, lack of coping skills and lack of social support, together they add up to what is called the stress-vulnerability model: (Mueser & Gingerich, 2005).

Relative with schizophrenia and Chances of developing schizophrenia in %

No relative 1
Ill aunt´-or-uncle 2 : 3
Ill parent´-or-sibling 5 : 10
Both parents ill 15 : 20
Non-identical (dizygotic) twin 5 : 10
Identical (monozygotic) twin 50 : 70

Besides genes there are some situations´-or-events that seem to increase the probability of someone genetically predisposed to schizophrenia developing the disorder. Among these events´-or-situations are “problems at birth, such as an unusually low weight´-or-an abnormal position during delivery--;-- poor motor coordination´-or-other neurological problems during infancy--;-- poor emotional “bonding” between mother and infant, separation from parents at an early age, poor intellectual development, particularly problems in verbal abilities--;-- difficulties in focusing attention--;-- inability to get along with people--;-- and confusion and hostility in the communications between parents and children”--;-- (Young, 1988).

Finally, some scientists think that biochemical and nutritional factors can account for some mental illnesses including schizophrenia--;-- (Null, 1995). Because of pollution there are over 90,000 chemicals in the external environment that people ingest through their foods, drinks and air inhalation. Toxic particles of pollutants, whether chemicals´-or-heavy metals, “penetrate and leak through the blood brain barrier over time and get into the brain” thereby affecting brain chemistry, hence mind and behavior. Dr. Hal Huggins has shown that many people who have developed mental illnesses are suffering from different types of toxins, such as mercury, lead, copper, iron, and aluminum poisonings. Thinking and behavior can be badly affected by these toxic metals, insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides that we ingest daily--;-- (Null, 1995).




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