Schizophrenia

Schizoprenia is a disorder characterised by psychosis which is a syndrome which may occur in many different disorders.

  • delusiona hallucinations distorred relatity testing abnormal speech and behaviour and motor disturbances
  • paranoid exited/disorganised or depressive psychosis is the defining feature of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and drug induced psycxhotic disorder etc may occur in many illnesses

symptoms of psychosis can be positive or negative. positive symptoms reflet an excess or distortion of normal symptoms. negative symptoms reflect a diminuitonof loss of function.

Positive symptoms of psychosis

  • delusions
  • ideas of self reference
  • hallucinations
  • loss of through boubndaries
  • passivity
  • disorganised behaviour and movements
  • formal thought disorder

Negative symptoms of psychosis

  • affective blunting
  • poverty of thought and speech
  • avolitiona nd apathy
  • anhedonia
  • impari attention
  • other cognitivw impairments

what is schizophrenia2 or more of the following constellatino of signs and symptoms, at least 1 month active symptoms, overall duration 6+ months

symptoms of schizophrenia auditory somatic/tactile and visual are the most common with auditory being the highest prevalence

often persecutory delusions in place disorganisation is important

cognitive impairment of a feature of schizophrenia is seen with children which will ne schizophrenic doing poorly in school

kraepelin divided insanity into dementia praecox and manic dpression

epidemiology high in males and high in maori and pacifika

males peak of onset is early 20s and 70% is preceded as a