7-8)."
The information gained by these studies was significant. One, in particular, conducted by William Pollin and his colleagues set out to disprove the biological or genetic factors, and to establish the basis for.".. psychodynamic, interpersonal phenomena that might have some significant etiologic role with respect to schizophrenia (Torrey, p. 9)." What Pollin and his colleagues found, instead, was that there were significant physiological conditions in the twins examined who had schizophrenia (p. 9).
The most significant findings were a history of lower birth weight and more obstetric complications in the affected twins in discordant pairs, and more neurological abnormalities in the affected twins (Pollin & Stabenau, 1968; Mosher et al., 1971). The findings, said these researchers, suggested that "the intrauterine experience of one twin, relative to the co-twin, tends to be unfavorable or deficient, leading to a relative physiological incompetence and immaturity at birth and in the neonatal period." Shifting from biological observations to psychological theorizing, the researchers theorizing "The twins studied by Pollin and colleagues were investigated more thoroughly than those in any other previous schizophrenia twin study. The researchers then interpreted their findings as follows: "These [biological] differences may induce attitudes and relationship patterns in the family which accentuate dependency and ego identity problems, and retard self-differentiation in the less favored twin" (Pollin & Stabenau, 1968). It should be noted that Pollin et al. published virtually no data to support their psychological interpretation, despite extensive and intensive analyses of the families. Such an interpretation, which appears absurd in the context of 1990s schizophrenia research, was representative of much 1960s theorizing about this disease (Torrey, p. 9)."
This should, for most people, establish the physiological nature of schizophrenia. The fact that Pollin, et al., did not publish their conclusions as to the psychological premise for the disease should also support that their own study, intended to eliminate the physiological basis for the disease, only further substantiated it. There is every reason to expect this to resolve the question of psychological vs. physiological nature of the disease, so that progress towards developing a means by which to improve treatment and initiate preventative measures to mitigate the numbers of cases of schizophrenia; but it has not. The debate as to the physiological nature of the disease vs. The psychological nature of it continues, regardless of the data.
The Debate
John G. Csernansky (2002) look at symptoms of schizophrenia, specifically "symptom clusters (p. 29)." Most studies do support the onset of the disease in adolescence (p. 29).
In the late 1930s Kurt Schneider established a pragmatic system for the assessment of schizophrenic symptoms. He defined "first-rank" symptoms as those that maximized diagnostic specificity, including audible thoughts; voices arguing, discussing, or commenting; influenced thought (i.e., thought withdrawal, thought broadcasting); and delusional perception. Perplexity, depressive or euphoric mood changes, and emotional impoverishment were viewed as second-rank symptoms. Schneider's reliance on clinically relevant and readily recognized symptoms was a strength of his system and a factor in his influence on the development of diagnostic criteria. Interestingly, some recent work suggests that Schneiderian first-rank symptoms may not be useful in differentiating schizophrenia from other psychotic disorders (Csernansky, p. 31)."
These symptom clusters, Trower and Harrop aruge, is indicative of an "incubating" phenomenon, and that 51% of all news cases of schizophrenia were reported to be between ages 15 and 25 (Harrop and Trower, p. 33). However, the same study revealed that 82.5% were between 15 and 35 years of age (p. 33). First symptom manifestation was 86%, and those manifestations were within the past 12 months of the study period (p. 33). Harrop and Trower argue this means that the majority of those individuals suffering from schizophrenia do not manifest their first symptoms in adolescence (p. 33). They argue, too, that this means that the disease is not path-physiological, but is psychological in nature.
The disruption in association is certainly reason to suspect that schizophrenia is psychological in nature (Weinter, Irving, 1997, 27). However, when we consider the existing evidence that has surfaced only in this century with the advent of the magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) scan (Fuller, p. 103). The scan images the body focus in sections, and disease progress can be witnessed by the physicians in ways that it was never previously seen. What the MRI show...
Schizophrenia Psychosis and Lifespan D Schizophrenia and Psychosis and Lifespan Development Schizophrenia and Psychosis Matrix Disorder Major DSM-IV-TR Categories Classifications Subclassifications Schizophrenia and Psychosis Symptoms Positive (Type I): represent excesses or distortions from normal functioning Delusions Bizarre Nonbizarre Hallucinations Auditory Visual Disorganized Speech Loose Association Neologisms Clang Associations Echolalia/Echopraxia Word Salad Grossly disorganized behavior Catatonic: motoric Waxy Flexibility Negative (Type II): the absence of functioning Apathy Affective Flattening Withdrawal Anhedonia Avolition Poor Concentration Poverty of speech Alogia Schizophrenia and Psychosis Diagnostic Types Paranoid Delusions and Hallucinations Disorganized Disorganized speech Disorganized behavior Withdrawal Affective flattening Catatonic Grossly disorganized behavior Disorganized speech Catatonic Echolalia/Echopraxia Undifferentiated Active symptoms that do not fit other diagnostic types Residual No Type I symptoms but some negative symptoms Schizoaffective
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