Transcript mental-disorders

Schizophrenia
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Symptoms
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For a psychiatrist to be sure about their schizophrenia diagnosis, a person must have at least some of these symptoms:
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Hallucinations. The person hears voices or other sounds that aren't there or sees things that don't exist.
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Delusions: Unshakeable beliefs that aren't true.
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Disorganized speech and behavior: The person talks and acts strangely.
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Lack of motivation and energy
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Blank look, little emotional expression
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Poor grooming habits
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A schizophrenia diagnosis is even more likely if you:
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Hear your own thoughts spoken aloud
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Think that thoughts are being inserted into your mind, or removed from it, by an outside force
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Believe that other people can read your mind
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Sense that an outside force makes you feel something, want something, or act in a certain way
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Hear voices discuss you, argue about you, or narrate your actions
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A person with schizophrenia may describe these symptoms openly. Or a psychiatrist may figure out they are probably happening after watching how
the person talks and acts.
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Different brain chemistry and structure: Scientists think that an imbalance in the complex, interrelated chemical reactions of the brain involving the
neurotransmitters (substances that brain cells use to communicate with each other) dopamine and glutamate, and possibly others, plays a role in
schizophrenia.
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Antipsychotic medications such as Thorazine and Prolixin are usually taken daily in pill or liquid form. Some antipsychotics are injections that are given
once or twice a month.
Parkinson’s
Disease
• Tremor. A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may notice a back•
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and-forth rubbing of your thumb and forefinger, known as a pill-rolling tremor. One characteristic of
Parkinson's disease is a tremor of your hand when it is relaxed (at rest).
Slowed movement (bradykinesia). Over time, Parkinson's disease may reduce your ability to move and slow
your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when
you walk, or you may find it difficult to get out of a chair. Also, you may drag your feet as you try to walk,
making it difficult to move.
Rigid muscles. Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can limit your range of
motion and cause you pain.
Impaired posture and balance. Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems as a
result of Parkinson's disease.
Loss of automatic movements. In Parkinson's disease, you may have a decreased ability to perform
unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.
Speech changes. You may have speech problems as a result of Parkinson's disease. You may speak softly,
quickly, slur or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than with the usual
inflections.
Writing changes. It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small.
In Parkinson's disease, certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually break down or die. Many of the
symptoms are due to a loss of neurons that produce a chemical messenger in your brain called dopamine.
When dopamine levels decrease, it causes abnormal brain activity, leading to signs of Parkinson's disease.
Mainly people 60 and older are diagnosed, although it can happen at earlier ages.
Carbidopa-levodopa. Levodopa, the most effective Parkinson's disease medication, is a natural chemical that
passes into your brain and is converted to dopamine.
Alzheimer’s Disease
• Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys
memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In
most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Estimates vary,
but experts suggest that more than 5 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s.
• Abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid plaques and tau tangles throughout the
brain, and once-healthy neurons stop functioning, lose connections with other neurons,
and die.
• The damage initially appears to take place in the hippocampus, the part of the brain
essential in forming memories.
• A loss or shortage of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (ACH) leads to Alzheimer’s.
• This disease is the main cause of Dementia, the loss of cognitive functioning.
• A medication known as Namenda® (memantine), an N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA)
antagonist, is prescribed to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. This drug's
main effect is to delay progression of some of the symptoms of moderate to severe
Alzheimer's.
• Razadyne is a medication inhibitory of ACH, but loses its effect gradually.
Autism
• This disorder is characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction,
verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.
• ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and
attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances.
Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art.
• Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most
obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years
of age.
• A surplus of Serotonin can increase the likelihood of Autism in children.
• Autistic patients have less eye contact and turn-taking, and do not have the ability to use
simple movements to express themselves, such as pointing at things.
• Differences in communication may be present from the first year of life, and may include
delayed onset of babbling, unusual gestures, diminished responsiveness, and vocal
patterns that are not synchronized with the caregiver.
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) include citalopram, fluoxetine ,
and sertraline. These medicines may help with depression, anxiety, and obsessive
behaviors. SSRIs have side effects, such as weightgain, insomnia, and increased agitation,
but the side effects tend to be less serious than those of antipsychotic medicines.
Anxiety
• Everyone feels anxious now and then. It’s a normal emotion. Many people feel nervous when faced with a problem at work, before
taking a test, or making an important decision.
• Anxiety disorders are different, though. They can cause such distress that it interferes with your ability to lead a normal life.
• This type of disorder is a serious mental illness. For people who have one, worry and fear are constant and overwhelming, and can
be disabling.
• There are different types of anxiety disorders ranging from social, generalized, phobias, and panic.
• Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness
• Problems sleeping
• Cold or sweaty hands or feet
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Nausea
• A surplus of Norepinephrine can lead to anxiety in people.
• A deficit of GABA can also lead to anxiety.
• Medications include Valium, Xanax, Ativan-Ativan (lorazepam) belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines. Lorazepam
affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety.
• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) The medications most frequently used are the selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs).[5] Clomipramine, a medication belonging to the class of tricyclic antidepressants appears to work as well as SSRIs
but has a higher rate of side effects.
Depression & Bi-Polar Disorder
• Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms
that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.
• There are different kinds of depression. One of the most common is Bi-Polar Disorder
• A person with bipolar disorder also experiences extreme high – euphoric or irritable – moods called “mania” or a less severe form
called “hypomania.” They then go through periods of deep depression where they think about suicide, sleep or don’t sleep for
long periods, and lose appetite and interests.
• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
• Irritability
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
• Decreased energy or fatigue
• Moving or talking more slowly
• Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression.
• Medicines such as Zoloft, Prozac, SSRIs
• SSRIs are common drugs for depression. In fact, they are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants. An imbalance of
serotonin may play a role in depression. These drugs fight depression symptoms by decreasing serotonin reuptake in the brain.
This effect leaves more serotonin available to work in your brain.
• Lithium is used to treat the manic episodes of bipolar disorder. Symptoms include hyperactivity, rushed speech, poor judgment,
reduced need for sleep, aggression, and anger. Lithium also helps to prevent or lessen the intensity of manic episodes.
Epilepsy
• Epilepsy is a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for
recurrent seizures. There are different types of epilepsy and seizures.
Epilepsy drugs are prescribed to control seizures, and rarely surgery is
necessary if medications are ineffective.
• The seizures occur because of a sudden surge of electrical activity in the
brain - there is an overload of electrical activity in the brain. This causes a
temporary disturbance in the messaging systems between brain cells.
During a seizure the patient's brain becomes "halted" or "mixed up".
• Too much Glutamate and too little GABA increase the likelihood of epileptic
seizures.
• Phenobarbital is medicine used to control seizures.
Multiple Personality Disorder
• Dissociative identity disorder is a severe form of dissociation, a mental process which produces a
lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity.
Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from a combination of factors that may include
trauma experienced by the person with the disorder. The dissociative aspect is thought to be a
coping mechanism -- the person literally dissociates himself from a situation or experience that's
too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate with his conscious self.
• The "alters" or different identities have their own age, sex, or race. Each has his or her own
postures, gestures, and distinct way of talking. Sometimes the alters are imaginary people;
sometimes they are animals. As each personality reveals itself and controls the individuals'
behavior and thoughts, it's called "switching." Switching can take seconds to minutes to days.
• Antipsychotic medication: These include chlorpromazine, aripiprazole, Risperdal®, Haldol®, and
mellaril. These dissociative identity disorder drugs are used when the patient exhibits psychotic
behavior. They work as mood stabilizers as well.
• Depressants and Anti-Depressants can be used as well to help with this disorder.