All people who work with people with dementia, schizophrenia, behavioral disorders, anxiety and depression, must have knowledge basic to have effective communication, when you help them if you work in a daycare, assisting living facility, nursing home, hospital or if you live with them at home. That is why I write in this blog because some aspects of its pathophysiology must be known.
Pathophysiology is the study of the functional and physiological changes that occur in the body as a result of disease or injury. It examines how the normal processes of the body are altered and how these alterations lead to the manifestation of symptoms and clinical signs of specific diseases. It is a fundamental discipline for understanding the basis of various diseases and for developing strategies for diagnosis and treatment.
This post will address schizophrenia, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness characterized by a combination of symptoms that includes hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and cognitive impairment associated with an imbalance of dopamine and serotonin, as well as hypofunction of the prefrontal cortex and hyperactivity of the amygdala.
At present, the molecular mechanism of schizophrenia is not completely known, but there is strong scientific evidence that supports the genetic component in its pathophysiology. Twin and family studies have shown that people with close relatives with schizophrenia have a greater probability of having schizophrenia, multiple genes are believed to interact, influencing the regulation of glutamate signals, synaptic function, DNA transcription and chromatin remodeling.
Alterations in brain development during pregnancy and early childhood increase the risk, exposure to environmental toxins, viral infections during pregnancy, complications during childbirth can increase the possibility of getting sick in later stages, chronic stress, Drug use such as marijuana or methamphetamine and traumatic experiences in childhood are environmental factors involved in the development of schizophrenia.
Anxiety disorders are an exaggerated anxiety response to everyday activities. Its pathophysiology presents an interaction of genetic, neurochemical and environmental factors as well as disorders in serotonin, norepinephrine and GABA, just as in schizophrenia the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala are involved.
Mood disorders such as depression and bipolarity alter mood and functionality; the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are involved, as well as alterations in neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as well as the regulation of the circadian rhythm that brings with it extreme changes in moods.
Further Beyond the medications that these people consume to calm their anxiety, depression, improve their memory, and be able to sleep, we must look at the human side of these patients who are invisible to society and an economic burden for their families. Kind and respectful treatment restores their dignity.
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