Schizophrenia and Its Neurobiological Effects
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which hallucinations and delusions are created in an individual's mind and cause them to interpret reality abnormally. Its minor symptoms can begin with memory and concentration difficulties and range up to blunted emotions and an inability of an individual to experience pleasure. According to WHO, 20 million people worldwide show symptoms of schizophrenia. Biologically, it is thought that people who have abnormalities in the brain, neurochemical dopamine, a genetic schizophrenic history, and lower brain matter in some areas of the brain are at higher risk for developing this condition.
The neuroscience behind this disease is more intricate than it seems and has taken a vast amount of time to be simplified and understood. The chemical dopamine plays a significant role in the neurotransmission abnormalities caused by this disorder. The general hypothesis of this disease is that dopamine is too high in certain parts of the brain of schizophrenic patients. This hypothesis was formulated when it was proven that drugs used to treat schizophrenia act to reduce dopamine activity. Whereas, drugs that increase dopamine levels can induce schizophrenic symptoms. Additionally, it has been proposed that even dysfunction in glutamate systems may contribute to dopamine hyperactivity observed in schizophrenia. There are other parts of the brain involved directly or indirectly in this diagnosis such as the thalamus, cerebral cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. The amygdala and hippocampus are responsible for perception and emotional regulation, whereas dysfunctions of the thalamus and cerebral cortex can cause hallucinations and delusions.
Gray matter is a type of tissue located in the brain responsible for processing information in the brain and helping the brain to function regularly. Gray matter is immensely affected during schizophrenia, and schizophrenic patients have a reduced volume of gray matter in the temporal, medial, and prefrontal lobes of the brain, which explains issues like memory decline and fluctuations in decision-making that people living with schizophrenia often experience. When schizophrenia becomes chronic, the white matter of the brain is affected as well. White matter refers to the axons that allow communication and exchange of information in different areas of the brain.
Abnormalities in parts of the brain with schizophrenia extend to other brain components as well, which can lead to general brain tissue loss and ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia victims.
