Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by a combination of hallucinations, delusions, tremors, extremely disordered thinking and behavior, as well as a lack of emotional intelligence.
While schizophrenia typically triggers hallucinations and delusions, many of the affected individuals also have problems related to their cognitive abilities.
What Causes the Occurrence of Schizophrenia?
This disorder is associated with changes in the structure and functioning of the prefrontal and medial temporal lobe of the brain. These cortical structures are involved in the processing of the working memory and declarative memory, respectively.
Due to this, the most notable cognitive impairment due to schizophrenia is the problem with short-term and long-term memory.
What Are the Main Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
Other symptoms of schizophrenia include:
- The illusion of hearing voices or noises;
- The illusion of seeing visions or shadows;
- Paranoid behavior (suspicion and distrust);
- The affected individuals may believe to have unusual powers;
- The affected individuals may believe that others control their thoughts.
The triggers for this abnormal activity of neurons have been found in the cingulate cortex, specifically in its posterior part. Since it disturbs the rational thinking and perception of life, the affected individuals interpret the reality in an abnormal way.
How Many Types of Schizophrenia Are There?
There are 4 main types of this disorder:
- Paranoid schizophrenia
- Catatonic schizophrenia
- Undifferentiated schizophrenia
- Schizoaffective disorder
Paranoid Schizophrenia
Paranoid schizophrenia is characterized by extreme paranoid behavior and inappropriate emotional responses. The affected individuals show little pleasure for life at this stage of this disorder and dedicate most of their time to protecting themselves from their perceived persecutors.
What Are the Symptoms of Paranoid Schizophrenia?
- hallucinations and delusions;
- disorganized thinking;
- lack of motivation;
- lack of attention to hygiene;
- changes in body language and emotions;
- lack of interest in social activities;
- slow movement;
- changes in sleep patterns.
Along with the aforementioned symptoms, the affected individual often experiences confusion and fear which are accompanied by delusional thoughts that someone is plotting against them.
Catatonic Schizophrenia
Catatonia occurs in some individuals that suffer from schizophrenia. It refers to a set fo schizophrenic symptoms that include emotional shutdown as a typical manifestation of this type of schizophrenia. The affected individuals appear to be paralyzed both mentally and physically. They can stand still with no facial expressions for a long period of time, with no drive to eat, drink, or urinate.
On the other hand, the individuals affected by catatonic schizophrenia can engage in motor activities, such as mimicking sounds and movements. These peculiarities in the behavior of catatonic schizophrenic patients are labeled as catatonic excitement.
What Are the Symptoms of Catatonic Schizophrenia?
The symptoms of this type of schizophrenia include:
- Stupor – A lack of psychomotor activity;
- Catalepsy – seizures and rigidity of the body;
- Waxy flexibility – If the doctor that examines the patients with this type of schizophrenia lifts their arm in the air, they will keep it in that position until the doctor puts it down again;
- Negativism – It refers to the characteristic little or no response to external stimuli.
- Mannerism – Performing unusual and exaggerated actions;
- Stereotypy – The affected individual repeats some movements without an obvious reason;
- Echolalia – It refers to the patient’s action of mimicking another person’s speech;
- Echopraxia – It refers to the patient’s action of mimicking another person’s movements.
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia
This classification is relevant for the individuals that exhibit behaviors and symptoms that can be related to two or more other types of schizophrenia.
Schizoaffective Disorder
The affected individual is delusional and suffers from depression, mania, and/or hypomania. Almost 90% of the affected patients need lifelong treatment with administration of antipsychotic drugs, counseling, and social rehabilitation, for the reduction of the schizophrenia symptoms.