To find a cure for schizophrenia, scientists must first understand the disease itself. Over the years, professionals have come up with a fairly accurate definition:

When a person's thinking, feeling, and behaving are so far from normal so as to interfere with his or her ability to function in everyday life, and delusions, hallucinations, or irregular thinking or emotions are produced, then he or she has a mental illness called schizophrenia (Smith 19).

The most common symptoms of schizophrenia are the typical hallucinations and delusions, and disturbed thinking. Other signs include abnormal physical activity, such as pacing or rocking, as well as abnormal speech and communication, such as silly talk and repetition.

The thought process of a normal person is basically organized, while the thought process of a person with schizophrenia is not. The pe

"Failing People With Schizophrenia." Health Newsfeed. #766 (1998): 1pp. Online. Internet. 7 Sept. 1999.

Not all treatments for schizophrenia have seemed so practical under today's standards. In the past, some schizophrenia patients had holes bored in their skulls to "release the evil spirits". Others were chained to walls in order to control their behavior and prevent destructiveness. Most treatments like these had no effect and accomplished nothing. Another type of treatment available for treating schizophrenia is psychosurgery. In some extreme cases, professionals in the past would perform frontal lobotomies, which permanently disconnected several sections of the brain. Then in 1938, shock treatment was invented. Although not as effective as medication, this treatment is seldom used to treat schizophrenia today.

rson with schizophrenia usually has delusions and hallucinations that interfere with their thinking. Often times their speech is difficult to follow, out of order, and off subject.

Young, Patrick. Schizophrenia. Chelsea House Publishers, New York

"Scientists Have Identified Gene That May Raise Schizophrenia Risk." The Schizophrenia Homepage Journal (2 Sept. 1999): 4pp. Online. Internet. 7 Sept. 1999.

Smith, Douglas W. Schizophrenia. Franklin Watts Publishers, New York, 1993.

Scientists play a very important role in researching the causes and cures involved in schizophrenia. There is great interest in finding a technique to predict the onset of schizophrenia in people who are currently healthy. Researchers recognize that people who have blood relatives affected by schizophrenia have a greater risk of developing the disorder themselves. By the technique of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the brain can be imaged. Schizophrenia has already been shown to be associated with enlarged ventricles (four fluid-filled cavities within the brain) and decreased brain size. What is yet to discover, is whether such brain abnormalities predate the onset of schizophrenia symptoms. Dr. Lawrie and colleagues enrolled 100 people, aged 16 to 25 years, at high risk of developing schizophrenia, along with 20 of their relatives in their first episode of the disorder and 30 healthy controls (not related). Each person had an MRI scan to measure the volume of particular areas of the brain.

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Approximate Word count = 1926
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)