How Medical Professionals Go About Diagnosing Schizophrenia
Often confused with split personality disorder, schizophrenia is a brain-related disorder that is characterized by the loss of contact with reality. With split personality disorder, people act differently, talk differently and believe they are someone else. Schizophrenic people hear voices, see things, hold onto false beliefs, think abnormally, withdraw socially and display flattened emotions. A schizophrenia diagnosis is usually made from ages 18 to 30, which persists indefinitely, making life with paranoid schizophrenia difficult to cope with. Currently, diagnosing this disorder is difficult because the causes aren’t very clear.
Before a diagnosis of schizophrenia is made, a person is subjected to a conventional medical examination which includes checking height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and the functionality of the lungs, heart and abdomen. Tests such as an MRI, a complete blood count, and drug and alcohol screening are sometimes able to rule out other causes for the symptoms. After that, a mental health practitioner will talk to the patient about his or her behavior, thoughts and feelings. The signs and symptoms of schizophrenia include considerable problems with the ability to do your job or carry out everyday activities, symptoms that last for 6 months or more, as well as the presence of catatonic behavior, delusions, hallucinations, and the display of disorganized speech and behavior.
Once a schizophrenia diagnosis is made, the doctor will look to see which subtype the patient has. Paranoid schizophrenia is the most common variety, which is characterized by delusions and/or hallucinations, and feeling as though others are “out to get them” or spying on them. Catatonic schizophrenia occurs when a person does not speak for extended periods of time, stares vacantly, has trouble speaking and expresses little to no emotion. Disorganized-type schizophrenia is characterized by restlessness, inappropriate emotional responses, grimacing, inability to experience pleasure, lack of emotion and eccentric behavior. Undifferentiated-type is when the patient doesn’t fit into any one category and residual-type occurs in a period following the appearance of psychotic symptoms.
The National Institute of Mental Health is currently funding more clinical trials to find out if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can offer a way of diagnosing this disorder. Still other researchers state that they have found diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia contained in brain scan images. The diagnosis for this condition is considered 91% accurate using MRI equipment. The research shows that there are unique patterns that can be utilized to diagnose patients with schizophrenia. There appears to be lower volume in certain regions of the brain connected with learning, memory and motivation.
Time is of the essence for a schizophrenia diagnosis, especially since the risk of suicide is very high among those with thought disorders. Yale University researchers concluded that, “Detecting and treating schizophrenia rapidly, following the onset of a first psychotic episode, improves the patients’ response to treatment.” Dr. Thomas McGlashan M.D. said the span of time between psychosis onset and detection can last from a few weeks to a few years. He explains, “All factors being equal, early detection efforts will bring people into treatment at lower symptom levels. Patients who began treatment earlier tended to be younger, less symptomatic, and more responsive to treatment.”
Schizophrenia is a terrible disease that can turn your life upside down. The good news is, though, that with the right treatment it is possible to lead a nearly normal life. Nothing can permanently take away the disease but if you or a loved one has received a schizophrenia diagnosis, there is hope. Click here to learn more about schizophrenia disorder.
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