Research in Schizophrenia

Researchers from around the country have demonstrated that those who struggle with schizophrenia have an over stimulation of the brain chemical called dopamine. Using brain-imaging scans, scientists found that patients with schizophrenia tended to show a much higher level of activity of dopamine in the brain.

When the system regulating dopamine transmission is interrupted by anti- psychotic medication, the psychotic symptoms are reduced. The newer anti-psychotic medications available are effective in eliminating both the positive symptoms of schizophrenia (hallucinations, paranoia) and the negative symptoms (lack of motivation, emotional withdrawal and lack of concern with self-care).

The onset of schizophrenia is usually in late teens and early adulthood. It often takes several years to get a definitive diagnosis. Therefore, it is recommended that one must be assessed by a psychiatrist to begin an appropriate medication regime.

According to a Consumer Health Services survey, one of every 241 persons has schizophrenia (dated 1998). The average age of an individual with schizophrenia is 42 years, 71 percent are single, and 71 percent receive Medicare or Medicaid.

The same study also reports that 45 percent of those with schizophrenia said they live alone, 23% with their parents, 9 % with their spouse or significant other, and 7 % in group homes or halfway houses. 14 % have paid employment (presumably full or part-time); 19 % are in treatment or rehabilitation programs, and significantly, 46 % say they have no structured activity. All others are involved in volunteer work, school, or hobbies.

Research in Bi-Polar Disorders

Ludwig Van Beethoven and Charles Dickens experienced wild shifts in mood, with periods of limitless energy; and they could forego sleep for days. During these times, they were so full of ideas for symphonies and novels that they could hardly write them all down. But at other times, the two artists endured intense sadness and feelings of worthlessness, losing the ability even to concentrate.

Today we know they suffered from bipolar disorder, a mental condition in which moods swing from the depths of depression to the intense highs of mania. If the condition is left untreated, the swings will continue for years. Bipolar disorder affects more than 2.5 million adults in the USA. It strikes both men and women equally and is found among all races, ethnic groups and social classes.

The last seven years, however, have been a golden age for treatment. There have been more promising developments in the medical treatment of bipolar disorder than in the entire history of modern psychiatry. Fifteen years ago, there was only one medicine, lithium, approved by the FDA. Today, we have a half-dozen others that are effective with various forms of the disease.

Bipolar is commonly known as manic-depression. Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed. On average, clients consult three or four doctors and spend over eight years seeking treatment before they receive a correct diagnosis, according to the National Depression and Manic-Depressive Association. It usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, but can begin as early as age 5 or 6 or as late as the 50s. Manic-depression in kids is often misdiagnosed as attention deficit disorders, because the youngsters are hyperactive and can't concentrate.

Almost 80 to90 percent of individuals with bipolar disorder have a relative with either depression or bipolar disorder, a rate 20 times higher than that found in the general population, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital, because the risk for suicide is highest in the initial years of the illness. The illness is painful on many levels and many people with bipolar disorder abuse alcohol or drugs at some point in their illness.

Newer and more effective medications, such as anticonvulsants Tegretol and Depakote, are prescribed to stabilize individuals mood. Studies have shown that one in three people with bipolar disorder will be completely free of symptoms by taking mood stabilizers for life.