Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects human beings in varying degrees. It is a persistent and incapacitating brain ailment that has affected many people throughout the world. (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml, October 25, 2014). Statistics show that 2.2 million people in USA, and 51 million people worldwide suffer from schizophrenia. Its prevalence tends to be the same throughout the world with about .5% to 1% in every country. It is present in all societies irrespective of cultures, colors, races and socio economic status. (Murray, 2005). People with Schizophrenia tend to deteriorate in their cognitive and emotional functioning. (Denrti, Seigel, Schneider & Habel, 2012). fMRI studies show that
…show more content…
The serotonin hypothesis of schizophrenia developed from toxicologic theories of mental ill- ness, which assume that mental illness is triggered by the direct or indirect action of toxins on the nervous system. This theory stipulates that many exogenous substances that go into the body produce in the individual the effects or symptoms of mental illness (Baumeister & Hawkins, 2004). Like the dopamine and glutamate hypothesis, serotonin holds that schizophrenia originated from the effect of recreational drugs like hallucinogenic or psychotomimetic drugs, like LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, and ecstasy on the neurotransmitter serotonin. The drugs act as antagonist on the serotonin receptors by blocking from releasing serotonin. However, there has been much controversy regarding this theory that made it to be relegated to the background, but the discovery of the atypical psychotic medications like clozapine, which have helped in the treatment of the symptoms of schizophrenia brought it back to the discussion table. It is suggested that the improvement in the symptoms of schizophrenia with the atypical antipsychotics is associated with increased serotonin receptor antagonism by lowering the extrapyramidal side effects. Other atypical antipsychotics like quetiapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone, produces similar results ( Meltzer, Li & Kaneda, 2003; Baumeister & Hawkins, …show more content…
Carlson, N. R. (2014). Physiology of Behavior (11th ed.). United Kingdom, Pearson Education Limited.
Crow,t. h., (2007). Why and how genetic linkage has not solved the problem of psychosis: Review and hypothesis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164,13-21.
Denrti, B., Seigel, E., Schneider, F. & Habel, U. (2012). How specific are emotional deficits? A comparison of empathic abilities in schizophrenia, bipolar and depressed patients. Schizophrenia Research, 142, 58-64.
Gottesman, I. I., & Bertelson, A., (1989). A confirming unexpressed genotype for schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46,867-872.
Kim, J. Y., Duian, X., Liu, C. Y., et al. (2009). DISC1 regulates new neuron development in the Adult brain via modulation of AKT-mTOR signaling through KIAA1212. Neuron, 63, 721-773.
MacDonald, A. W., Carter, C. S., Kerns, J. G., Ursu, S., et al (2005). Specificity of the prefrontal dysfunction and context processing deficits to schizophrenia n never-medicated patients with first-episode of psychosis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 475-484.
Meltzer, H. Y., Li, Z.,
The serotonin hypothesis of schizophrenia developed from toxicologic theories of mental ill- ness, which assume that mental illness is triggered by the direct or indirect action of toxins on the nervous system. This theory stipulates that many exogenous substances that go into the body produce in the individual the effects or symptoms of mental illness (Baumeister & Hawkins, 2004). Like the dopamine and glutamate hypothesis, serotonin holds that schizophrenia originated from the effect of recreational drugs like hallucinogenic or psychotomimetic drugs, like LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, and ecstasy on the neurotransmitter serotonin. The drugs act as antagonist on the serotonin receptors by blocking from releasing serotonin. However, there has been much controversy regarding this theory that made it to be relegated to the background, but the discovery of the atypical psychotic medications like clozapine, which have helped in the treatment of the symptoms of schizophrenia brought it back to the discussion table. It is suggested that the improvement in the symptoms of schizophrenia with the atypical antipsychotics is associated with increased serotonin receptor antagonism by lowering the extrapyramidal side effects. Other atypical antipsychotics like quetiapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone, produces similar results ( Meltzer, Li & Kaneda, 2003; Baumeister & Hawkins, …show more content…
Carlson, N. R. (2014). Physiology of Behavior (11th ed.). United Kingdom, Pearson Education Limited.
Crow,t. h., (2007). Why and how genetic linkage has not solved the problem of psychosis: Review and hypothesis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164,13-21.
Denrti, B., Seigel, E., Schneider, F. & Habel, U. (2012). How specific are emotional deficits? A comparison of empathic abilities in schizophrenia, bipolar and depressed patients. Schizophrenia Research, 142, 58-64.
Gottesman, I. I., & Bertelson, A., (1989). A confirming unexpressed genotype for schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46,867-872.
Kim, J. Y., Duian, X., Liu, C. Y., et al. (2009). DISC1 regulates new neuron development in the Adult brain via modulation of AKT-mTOR signaling through KIAA1212. Neuron, 63, 721-773.
MacDonald, A. W., Carter, C. S., Kerns, J. G., Ursu, S., et al (2005). Specificity of the prefrontal dysfunction and context processing deficits to schizophrenia n never-medicated patients with first-episode of psychosis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 475-484.
Meltzer, H. Y., Li, Z.,