Alabama Brain Bee

Schizophrenia
Alabama Brain Bee
References
• Brain Facts 2012
• Neuroscience – Science of the Brain
• Found at https://www.uab.edu/brainbee/prep

• Overview does not cover all material that can appear on the test. Anything in the
two books above is fair game.

Alabama Brain Bee

Definition

• Schizophrenia is a chronic illness and personality disorder that

affects a person’s ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

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Causes

• Genetic Predisposition
• Maternal infections
• Brain Trauma

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Effects of schizophrenia

• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Thought disorder
• Annual cost of 62.7 billion
dollars for treatment, affecting
1.1% of America (2.4 million
people)
• Positive effects: Hallucination,
delusion, confused thinking
• Negative effects: Lack of
pleasure and motivation

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Normal Brain vs Schizophrenic Brain
Schizophrenics
have:
● Enlarged
ventricles
● Reduced size of
central brain
regions

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Who it affects
● Typically diagnosed between the
ages of 15 and 25
● 15% recover fully after one episode
● 60% have intermittent episodes
● 25% never recover and cannot
function as independent adults

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 Treatment

First Generation Drugs: while it

can reduce the effects of
schizophrenia, it also can lead
to side effects similar to
Parkinson's
Second Generation: Less
Parkinson's style side effects,
but can lead to weight gain,
blood disorders, muscle
dysfunction.
Safer alternatives are still being
sought after

© UAB. All Rights Reserved.

Summary

• Schizophrenia is a mental disorder with effects including

delusions, hallucination, and lack of motivation
• Suspected causes are genetic and environmental
• Anatomically Schizophrenics have larger ventricles and
reduced central brain regions
• Schizophrenia is usually diagnosed in adolescence, and is
recurring or permanent for most
• Treatments exist but have severe and often harmful side
effects.

© UAB. All Rights Reserved.

Alabama Brain Bee

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