Free Essay

Genetics, Brain Structure, and Behavior Presentation Evaluation

In: Philosophy and Psychology

Submitted By osmanclan
Words 956
Pages 4
Genetics, Brain Structure, and Behavior Presentation Evaluation

Joshua Osman

PSY/340

12/16/2013

Rebecca Wilson

Schizophrenia is a complicated chronic condition of the brain which causes a person to interpret reality abnormally. In the presentation “Schizophrenia”, Team B dives into the depths of the disease, thoroughly defining and explaining causes and possible genetic onset, which areas of the brain are damaged or interrupted, and how the disorder can affect day to day life of patients. Cures and treatment options are discussed in detail including therapies, future treatment, and preventative methods. This paper will review the information offered by Team B, discuss the overall quality of the information, and assess the level of organization applied.

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that not only affects a person's ability to function cognitively, but also their ability to see reality as it actually is. Brain disorders have the potential to impair any number of human functions and schizophrenia is no different. A breakdown of connections in the brain is a significant aspect of this mental disorder which leads to a lack of emotional stability, thought, and ultimately perception. A mental disorder such as schizophrenia is often crippling and disabling to those who are afflicted.

Causes of schizophrenia have yet to be pinpointed, but it is believed to be caused by an overstimulation of dopamine, a chemical produced in the brain. The disorder is not more prominent in either men or women, but affects an equal amount of each; however, the illness is milder in women. There are theories which point to genetics as a means of contraction, family history is potentially a key factor development of the disease, but these theories are yet to be confirmed.

Schizophrenia is a result of significant neurological damage and changes to the brain, more specifically; alterations in the cerebral cortex (the area of the brain known for cognitive control) are the focal point for neurological damage that causes schizophrenia. Several researchers have studied embryos during early stages of development in the womb, looking for evidence of degeneration or underdevelopment of neurons in the brain. One explanation for the fewer neurons could be there was a lack of oxygen to body tissue during the birthing process (Jacobsen and Kinney, 1975; Parnas et al. 1982 as cited by Benes et al, 1993). There are also changes to the vertical axons in the anterior cingulated cortex of the schizophrenic brain, which might indicate that glutamatergic axons that function as neural transmitters might migrate from other cortical parts of the brain that are “connected to the anterior cingulate” (Benes, 1993, p. 540). Ultimately, this would cause a misfire of the pyramidal cells resulting in an increase production of dopamine. It is implied that if the dopamine production could be controlled, the misfiring of pyramidal cells would be lessened allowing for better thought processes.

There is no doubt that disorders of the brain can strongly affect the behavior and function of those who suffer from an illness. In the early stages of schizophrenia, symptoms start slow then become more prominent as the illness progresses. Schizophrenia is one mental disorder that is associated with a multitude of intense and debilitating symptoms including: trouble sleeping, irritability, trouble concentrating, delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, reduced emotions, loose associations, and bizarre behaviors.

There are four stages to the development of schizophrenia:

1st – Prodromal Stage, the slow beginning of brain changes.
2nd – Psychosis onset, beginning to become delusional.
3rd – Stabilization, medications begin to level out symptoms but relapse is likely.
4th – Heterogeneity stage, symptoms reduce and dementia can start to take shape.

Symptoms and behaviors caused by schizophrenia are generally controlled through therapy and medications. Psychotropic drugs were developed in the 1950’s and were used to reduce the amount of delusions and hallucinations experienced by patients. Most patients would eventually stop taking the drugs due to the strong side effects they caused. Atypical medications were introduced as a replacement to the earlier typical antipsychotics. These new medications performed equally in diminishing symptoms of schizophrenia with far less side effects, a promising selling point for patients. Working along-side the medications, therapy is an important treatment for schizophrenia. Many patients benefit from an inpatient therapeutic life in the early stages of the disorder, progressively becoming more independent as medications and the symptoms level out. Community treatment and group therapies are offered in many areas, along with social and job skills training to help patients transition back into society.

Advancements in treatment and therapies for schizophrenia is slow moving, and in fact has not progressed much since the days of typical antipsychotics. However, medications are improving and breakthroughs are being made in the area of genetics and researchers are hopeful.

Schizophrenia is a complicated and involved illness that carries with it a lot of unknowns. The data for this disease is immeasurable, but Team B gathered the necessary resources and created an in depth presentation full of valuable information. Visually, the presentation kept my attention and portrayed the dark yet scientific side of this brain disorder. Their use of art and photography communicated the feelings and seriousness associated with such a heavy subject, but also displayed a visual that reinforced the information.

Overall, I feel Team B designed and wrote a professional and educated presentation, stacked with specific and in depth data. The information flowed from beginning to end and transitioned well between each bit of information. Schizophrenia has many faces and stories and this presentation captured the struggle I can only assume a patient would face. The description of the illness was described thoroughly, as was the behaviors and effected areas of the brain.

Reference:

Benes, F. M. (1993). Neurobiological Investigations in Cingulate Cortex of Schizophrenic Brain. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 19(3), 537-549. ProQuest database

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Bipolar

...Abstract Bipolar disorder has two levels that is associated with mental illness. The diagnosis of Bipolar disorder correlation with other disorders and has made it very difficult to diagnoses without connecting it to another mental illness. The most common links associated with Bipolar are mood disorders, disruptive disorders, panic disorders, and anxiety disorders to name a few. Each of these disorders has very similar symptoms changing personalities at any given time. Bipolar I and II have manic and hypomanic episodes occurs in an everyday or a total of a week the symptoms are increased displaying abnormal behavior. Hypomanic episode is a higher level severity of mood swings with elevated energy lasting four consecutive days and is present the majority of the day. Bipolar II has the same episodes reoccurring with escalated energy and activity, lasting longer than four days. According to research, Bipolar II is linked to substance abuse, severe depression, and schizophrenia that are unpredictable with the symptoms that cause clinical distress and impairment in social setting and a work environment. Hypomania episode and Depressive Disorder fluctuate between Bipolar I and II disorders. Researcher has found that Bipolar Disorder is genetically connected at an early age. Diagnosis is very difficult to recognize at such an early age, because is connected to other illness such as medical diagnoses or ADHD. Bipolar disorder is highly unpredictable with students were missed...

Words: 4075 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Selcting a Diagnosis

...Comprehensive assessment Parent teacher Situational variability, and Important tio have different views of the situation for diagnosis Equally important is the need for gathering information about the child's parents and siblings, which provides a context for understanding how problem behaviors manifest. This information also often serves as a basis for determining how well parents and other caretakers will be able to implement treatment strategies. The clinical evaluations of ADHD must be comprehensive and multidimensional in nature, so as to capture its situational variability, its associated features, and its impact on home, school, and social functioning. This multi-method assessment approach should include: parent and child interviews parent- and teacher-completed child behavior rating scales parent self-report measures clinic-based psychological tests review of prior school and medical records individually administered intelligence testing, educational achievement testing, or screening for learning disabilities (only necessary if not completed within the past year a standard pediatric examination or neurodevelopmental screening to rule out any unusual medical conditions that might produce ADHD-like symptoms additional assessment procedures may be recommended, including vision and hearing screening, as well as formal speech and language assessment. The Key Components of a Comprehensive Assessment of AD/HD," by Arthur Anastopoulos, Ph.D., E. Paige Temple, M...

Words: 4655 - Pages: 19

Premium Essay

Exceptional Children

...relatively small, enabling these children to benefit from the general education program. The physical attributes and/or learning abilities of some children, however—those called exceptional children—differ from the norm (either below or above) to such an extent that they require an individualized program of special education and related services to fully benefit from education. The term exceptional children according to Heward, W. L. (2006 ) includes children who experience difficulties in learning as well as those whose performance is so superior that modifications in curriculum and instruction are necessary to help them fulfill their potential. Thus, exceptional children is an inclusive term that refers to children with learning and/or behavior problems, children with physical disabilities or sensory impairments, and children who are intellectually gifted or have a special talent. Although the terms impairment, disability, and handicap are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not synonymous. Impairment refers to the loss or reduced function of a particular body part or organ (e.g., a missing limb). A disability exists when an impairment limits a person’s ability to perform certain tasks (e.g., walk, see, add a row of numbers) in the same way that most persons do. A person with a disability is not handicapped, however, unless the disability leads to educational, personal, social, vocational, or other problems. For example, if a child who has lost a leg...

Words: 10673 - Pages: 43

Premium Essay

Bipolar Disorder

...Previously known as manic-depressive illness, Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder which causes a person to have unusual shifts in mood, energy, thought, and behavior, and can seriously affect one’s ability to function. More than 2 million American adults are diagnosed with BPD and the disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood, but many people are first diagnosed with it in childhood and may exhibit symptoms as early as infancy (Spearing, 2001; Bardick and Bernes, 2005). It is estimated that approximately 90% of individuals with Bipolar Disorder experience its onset before age 20 (Hoofnagle, 2002). Pediatric-onset Bipolar Disorder (PBPD) is one of the most severe psychiatric illnesses that can affect children’s ability to succeed in all aspects of their lives, including in school. This paper aims at examining PBPD, its symptoms and causes, the neuropsychological deficits it presents in relation to comorbid conditions, how it affects student learning, educational impairments it causes, its educational implications for teachers and counselors, and its treatment and outcomes. The primary purpose of this paper is to educate educational service providers about PBPD so they can be more aware of how to recognize it in order to provide referral for intervention when needed, help in the process of providing early intervention, and accommodate for the disorder in the classroom. Most people go through normal ups and downs in life. Bipolar Disorder symptoms are...

Words: 3249 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Artificial Intelligence

...http://www.slideshare.net/ajaysuman/artificial-intelligence-in-business ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS Introduction Business applications utilize the specific technologies mentioned earlier to try and make better sense of potentially enormous variability (for example, unknown patterns/relationships in sales data, customer buying habits, and so on). However, within the corporate world, AI is widely used for complex problem-solving and decision-support techniques in real-time business applications. The business applicability of AI techniques is spread across functions ranging from finance management to forecasting and production.  In the fiercely competitive and dynamic market scenario, decision-making has become fairly complex and latency is inherent in many processes. In addition, the amount of data to be analyzed has increased substantially. AI technologies help enterprises reduce latency in making business decisions, minimize fraud and enhance revenue opportunities. Definition of AI  AI is a broad discipline that promises to simulate numerous innate human skills such as automatic programming, case-based reasoning, neural networks, decision-making, expert systems, natural language processing, pattern recognition and speech recognition etc. AI technologies bring more complex data-analysis features to existing applications. There are many definitions that attempt to explain what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is. I like to think of AI as a science that investigates...

Words: 4049 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Adolescence

...knowledge, practical information is offered to help clinicians about how to investigate a case of KLS, and what are the possible treatment modalities available currently for the treatment during an episode and interepisodic period for prophylaxis. Comprehensive research into the etiology, pathophysiology, investigation, and treatments are required to aid the development of disease-specific targeted therapies. Keywords: Hypersomnia, hypersexuality, Kleine–Levin syndrome, megaphagia, periodic Go to: ------------------------------------------------- Introduction Kleine–Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia and to various degrees, behavioral or cognitive disturbances, compulsive eating behavior, and hypersexuality.[1] The disease predominantly affects adolescent...

Words: 3809 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Patho Chap 1

...(from physis, nature). Pathology is the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of organs, tissues, cells, and bodily fluids. Physiology is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. Together, as pathophysiology, the term refers to the study of abnormalities in physiologic functioning of living beings. Pathophysiology seeks to reveal physiologic responses of an organism to disruptions in its internal or external environment. Because humans exhibit considerable diversity, healthy structure and function are not precisely the same in any two individuals. However, discovering the common and expected responses to abnormalities in physiologic functioning is useful, and it allows a general prediction of clinical progression, identification of possible causes, and selection of interventions that are most likely to be helpful. Thus, pathophysiology is studied in terms of common or “classic” presentations of disorders. Historically, descriptions of diseases were based on observations of those individuals who attracted medical attention because they exhibited...

Words: 8886 - Pages: 36

Premium Essay

Abnormal Psychology

...understand, and predict the behavior and mental processes of organisms. > the goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and control behavior. ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY * Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder. * Although many behaviors could be considered as abnormal, this branch of psychology generally deals with behavior in a clinical context. * There is a long history of attempts to understand and control behavior deemed to be aberrant or deviant (statistically, morally or in some other sense), and there is often cultural variation in the approach taken. * The field of abnormal psychology identifies multiple causes for different conditions, employing diverse theories from the general field of psychology and elsewhere, and much still hinges on what exactly is meant by "abnormal". * There has traditionally been a divide between psychological and biological explanations, reflecting a philosophical dualism in regards to the mind body problem. * There have also been different approaches in trying to classify mental disorders. * Abnormal includes three different categories, they are: * subnormal * supernormal * paranormal * The science of abnormal psychology studies two types of behaviors: adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. * Behaviors that are maladaptive suggest...

Words: 5375 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Meaning Nature and Kinds of Disability

...Meaning of Learning Disability The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined learning disabilities as a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind. Somebody with a general learning disability is said to have a significant impairment of intellectual, adaptive and social functioning. The way Learning Disability has been defined has been changing over different phases. The term has experienced a shift in dominance from Physicians to Psychologists and most recently to Educationist. The shift has been from an evaluation phase to instruction, education and training. Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV 1800-1930 1930-1960 1960-1980 1980-Present / / / Foundation Phase Transition Phase Integration Phase Contemporary Phase Phase Details Foundation Phase During the Foundation Phase, medical theories of brain function and dysfunction were formulated. Transition Phase Transition Phase emphasised more on the Clinical Study of the Child by Psychologists Integration Phase Integration Phase was characterized by the rapid growth of school programme for learning disabled children Contemporary Phase The current phase is an eclectic approach with a shift to the Educators. It is a coming together of the doctors , psychologists, parents and teacher with ultimate responsibility lying on the teachers The term Learning Disability actually was coined in 1963 here in Chicago...

Words: 2253 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Demonstration of a Neural Circuit Critical for Imprinting Behavior in Chicks

...The Journal of Neuroscience, March 24, 2010 • 30(12):4467– 4480 • 4467 Development/Plasticity/Repair Demonstration of a Neural Circuit Critical for Imprinting Behavior in Chicks Tomoharu Nakamori,1,3 Katsushige Sato,2,4 Yasuro Atoji,5 Tomoyuki Kanamatsu,6 Kohichi Tanaka,1 and Hiroko Ohki-Hamazaki1,3,7 1 Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Science and Medical Research Institute and 2Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan, 3Division of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan, 4Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Human Health, Komazawa Women’s University, Inagi-shi, Tokyo 206-8511, Japan, 5Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan, 6Department of Environmental Engineering for Symbiosis, Faculty of Engineering, Soka University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-8577, Japan, and 7Recognition and Formation, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan Imprinting behavior in birds is elicited by visual and/or auditory cues. It has been demonstrated previously that visual cues are recognized and processed in the visual Wulst (VW), and imprinting memory is stored in the intermediate medial mesopallium (IMM) of...

Words: 11987 - Pages: 48

Premium Essay

Brainbased Learning

...Session R4F The effect of brain-based instruction to improve on students’ academic achievement in social studies instruction Assist. Prof. Bilal Duman Muğla Univeristy Faculty of Education Department of Educational Science E-mail: bduman@mu.edu.tr 48000 Kötekli/Muğla/TURKEY Office: +90 0252 211.1816, Fax: +90 0252 .223. 84.91, Mobile: 0535.896.12.38 Abstract -The purpose of study is to compare social studies instruction based on the brain-based instruction (BBI) and traditional teacher-centered method, and to search the effects of BBI on elementary school sixth grade in social studies instruction students’ academic achievement and motivation In the study which is designed as an experimental research; traditional teaching, and brain-based instruction have been selected as independent variables, and academic achievement have been selected as dependent variables. The research design consists of pre-test, post-test, one experimental group and one control group The sample of the study consisted sixth grade students which were selected randomly from two separate classes of Türdü 100th year Primary School in Muğla. One of these classes has been randomly assigned as “experimental group” and the other one as “control group” of the study. Instruction in the control group was carried out in accordance with traditional teacher-centered method and in the experimental group instruction was done in accordance with brain-based learning and teaching principles. Data from dependent variables...

Words: 6887 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

Docx

...environment so it can make efficient appropriate responses for survival and/or reproduction. The two major parts of our nervous system are the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS is made of the brain and spinal cord.   The cranial nerves, spinal nerves and ganglia make up the PNS. The cranial nerves connect to the brain. The cranial and spinal nerves contain the axons (fibres) of sensory and motor nerve cells.   Nerve cells areas are also known as neurons. Neurons are the basic unit of the nervous system. They carry information or impulses as electrical signals from one place to another in the body. There are 3 types of neurons: Sensory Neurons- Sensory neurons carry electrical signals (impulses) from receptors or sense organs to the CNS. Sensory neurons are also called afferent neurons. The cell body of sensory neurons is outside the CNS in ganglia.   Motor Neurons- Motor Neurons Carry Impulses From The CNS To Effector Organs Motor Neurons Are Also Called Efferent Neurons. The Cell Bodies Of Motor Neurons Are Inside The CNS.   Interneurons- These are also called intermediate, relay, or associative neurons. They carry information between sensory and motor neurons. They are found in the CNS.  TOP The Structure of Neurons A Neuron consists of THREE MAIN PARTS:     A. CELL BODY - The largest part, contains the nucleus and much of the cytoplasm (area between the nucleus and the cell membrane), most of the metabolic activity of...

Words: 50148 - Pages: 201

Premium Essay

Homosexuality

...ROSKILDE UNIVERSITY 2005 HOMOSEXUALITY Joanna Barnecka Kinga Karp Mie Lollike Psychology, Modul Autumn Semester 2005 Group Number 107 Supervisor: Bettina Hjortholt Characters: 106.189 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 2 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 2 MOTIVATION.............................................................................................................. 3 PROBLEM DEFINITION ............................................................................................... 4 CARDINAL QUESTION ................................................................................................ 4 SUB-QUESTIONS ......................................................................................................... 4 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION TO THE TERM HOMOSEXUALITY .................................... 6 THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS FOR UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALITY................................................................................................... 9 HOMOSEXUALITY FROM A BEHAVIOURISTIC POINT OF VIEW ................................ 10 HOMOSEXUALITY FROM A BIOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW ....................................... 16 HOMOSEXUALITY FROM A PSYCHODYNAMIC POINT OF VIEW....

Words: 16665 - Pages: 67

Premium Essay

Brain Sci. 2012

...Brain Sci. 2012, 2, 347-374; doi:10.3390/brainsci2030347 OPEN ACCESS brain sciences ISSN 2076-3425 www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/ Review Internet and Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Literature Review of Neuroimaging Studies Daria J. Kuss * and Mark D. Griffiths International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4BU, UK; E-Mail: mark.griffiths@ntu.ac.uk * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: daria.kuss@ntu.ac.uk; Tel.: +44-789-111-94-90. Received: 28 June 2012; in revised form: 24 August 2012 / Accepted: 28 August 2012 / Published: 5 September 2012 Abstract: In the past decade, research has accumulated suggesting that excessive Internet use can lead to the development of a behavioral addiction. Internet addiction has been considered as a serious threat to mental health and the excessive use of the Internet has been linked to a variety of negative psychosocial consequences. The aim of this review is to identify all empirical studies to date that used neuroimaging techniques to shed light upon the emerging mental health problem of Internet and gaming addiction from a neuroscientific perspective. Neuroimaging studies offer an advantage over traditional survey and behavioral research because with this method, it is possible to distinguish particular brain areas that are involved in the development and maintenance of addiction. A systematic literature search was conducted, identifying 18 studies. These studies...

Words: 14407 - Pages: 58

Premium Essay

Ffsfsd

...mini-research activities to increase student achievement © ProQuest LLC – May be reproduced for Educational Purposes September 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Topic Section Selected LM_Net Librarian Comments about Positive Strategies for Preventing Plagiarism Strategies for Creating Low Probability of Plagiarism Research Activities—Doug Johnson Bloom‘s Taxonomy of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and Mini-Research ProQuest Mini-Research Strategies Correlated to HOTS -- (Bloom‘s Taxonomy) Mini-Research Formal Model—Integrate Technology and Prevent Plagiarism Mini-Research Draft Summary Model Integrates Technology Methods and Skills Mini-Research Informal Model—Integrate Technology and Prevent Plagiarism Flexible Rubrics Model for Teacher Evaluation of Mini-Research Reports APPENDIX ProQuest Mini-Research Process vs. Traditional Research Renewed Emphasis on the Importance of Writing and Mini-Research Activities Scientific-based Research (SBR), Mini-Research and Student Achievement Comparing eLibrary, Google, and Print Library Benefits for Student Research Implications of the Pew and NWHS Studies of Student Internet Use 21 22 23 25 26 Page 2 6 9 10 12 15 17 20 1 Selected LM_Net Listserv Quotes on Positive Strategies for Preventing Plagiarism The following quotes were selected from responses to the issue of plagiarism on the...

Words: 11221 - Pages: 45