Schizophrenia

Quick revision of some important points of schizhophrenia*

*Emil kraeplin coined the term dementia praecox(ai 2008).

*Eugene bleuler coined the term schizophrenia.

*incidence of schizophrenia is 1 – 1.5 % (tn 1999).schizophrenic symptoms result from increased limbic dopaminergic activity(in mesocortical pathway ) and negetive symptoms result from decreased dopaminergic activity in frontal cortex (pgi 97, 2002).

*paranoid schizophrenia may be caused by amphetamine ingestion (aiims 90,97 mp 98). 

*schizophrenia is a formal thought disorder ( aiims 94) ie primary disturbence în schizophrenia is thought disturbence 

*most common type of schizophrenia is paranoid schizophrenia(pgi 2004).

*paranoid schizoprphrenics usully have predominent first two of signs and symptoms ie hallucination and delusion.( remember russell crowe in the ” a beautiful mind” ) .

***charecteristic / pathognomonic clinical manisfestation of schizo is auditory hallucinations giving running commentry ( aiims 2000, delhi 03, pgi 98).

*auditory hallucination are most common type of hallucination in schizophrenics ( jipmer 95) and it is first symptom to go away /respond to treatment ( aiims 92 , 93 , 90).

*delusion of control ,persecution and self reference are seen in paranoid schizo( pgi 97).

**note that disorganised speech , behaviour and negetive symptoms are not prominent in paranoid schizophrenia.

*it shows second best progonosis among types of schizo [ best progonosis is with catatonic type (mp 04) ].