 Schizophrenia (shattered mind) - There is evidence to suggest that genetic vulnerability and

environmental stressors can act in combination to cause schizophrenia. Some researchers

estimate schizophrenia to be highly heritable. But a recent review of the genetic evidence has
suggested only a 28% chance of one identical twin developing schizophrenia if the other already
has it. A recent study listed seven genes as likely to be involved in the inheritance of
schizophrenia or the risk of developing the disease. One of these genes known as COMT is
involved in encoding the dopamine catabolic enzyme. This is interesting because of the known
link between dopamine function, psychosis, and schizophrenia. There is considerable evidence
indicating that stressful life events cause or trigger schizophrenia psychosis. Childhood
experiences of abuse or trauma have also been implicated as risk factors for a diagnosis of
schizophrenia later in life. There is also consistent evidence that negative attitudes towards
individuals with schizophrenia can have a significant adverse impact. In particular, critical
comments, hostility, and intrusive or controlling attitudes from family members have been found
to correlate with a higher risk of relapse in schizophrenia across cultures. Factors such as
poverty and discrimination also appear to be involved in
increasing the risk of schizophrenia or schizophrenia
relapse, perhaps due to the high levels of stress they
engender. The disease is frequently accompanied by
paranoia and delusions. Some may experience extremely
bizarre hallucinations. Ironically, while some areas of the
schizophrenic brain may be dead, in other ways the
sufferer's brain is overactive. Most schizophrenics appear
to have an excess of dopamine in the brain, the neurons
become overloaded and relay inappropriate messages
(see Figure 40 for a modern view). Lack of activity in the
frontal lobes is a feature of states of mind in which
consciousness is disturbed. This might account for the
state's common reduction in planned or spontaneous
behavior and social withdrawal. The anterior cingulate
cortex - thought to distinguish between external and
internal stimuli - is also underactive (Figure 33), which
may be one reason schizophrenics confuse their own
thoughts with outside
voices. Recently in 2006, it is found that those with
mutations in the PCM1 gene had a significantly lower
Figure 40 Schizophrenia
volume of grey matter in their orbitofrontal cortex
[view large image]
resulting in poor judgement, inappropriate social
behaviour and not keeping themselves clean. PCM1
plays a role in cell division, which in the brain occurs
more actively at adolescence - an age at which
schizophrenia is commonly diagnosed.