- Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by a range of cognitive and emotional dysfunctions that include perception, inferential thinking, language and communication, behavioral monitoring, affect, fluency and productivity of thought and speech, hedonic capacity, volition, drive and attention.
- No single symptom characterizes schizophrenia. The diagnosis involves the recognition of a constellation of signs and symptoms associated with impaired occupational and/or social functioning.
- The average age of onset for the first psychotic episode of schizophrenia is in the 20's. Most will have a gradual onset of symptoms; however, the onset may be abrupt for others.
Characteristic symptoms:
Schizophrenia can be subtyped depending on the characteristics of the affected individual.
delusions hallucinations disorganized speech grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior unresponsive facial appearance poor eye contact inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed activities - Paranoid type: preoccupation with one or more delusions or frequent auditory hallucinations. Delusions are typically persecutory or grandiose, or both. Hallucinations are also typically related to the content of the delusional theme.
- Disorganized type: characterized by disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and flat or inappropriate affect (lack of emotions in facial expressions, or inappropriate facial expressions). An individual may exhibit inappropriate grimacing, giggling, or other mannerisms and oddities of behavior.
- Catatonic type: marked mobility difficulties such as immobility, excessive motor activity, and/or peculiar voluntary movements. Other indications are extreme negativism, mutism, and echolalia. Echolalia is a parrot-like repetition of a senseless word or phrase. The individual may also exhibit a behavior called echopraxia. Echopraxia is the repetitive imitation of another person's movements.
- No single symptom characterizes schizophrenia. The diagnosis involves the recognition of a constellation of signs and symptoms associated with impaired occupational and/or social functioning.