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The changes in thoughts and perceptions can be gradual. Psychosis can make it difficult for someone to tell what’s real and what isn’t. But schizophrenia is the most common cause of early psychosis - especially in teens and young adults. Not everyone who experiences a psychotic episode has a mental illness. (5)Ībout 3 in 100 people will experience an episode of psychosis in their lifetime, according to the NIMH. It can involve hearing voices, experiencing hallucinations, or having paranoia and other delusional thoughts. Psychosis is defined as a break with reality. Your doctor may also recommend imaging studies of your head, such as a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Ī diagnosis of schizophrenia requires that some symptoms persist for six months or longer, with two or more of the symptoms occurring most of the time over a one-month period.Īt least one of these symptoms must be delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech. These tests will also screen for any alcohol or drugs in your system that may be contributing to your symptoms. Medical Tests A health worker may draw your blood for tests that can help rule out other conditions. ( 7) This evaluation is considered the most important part of the diagnostic assessment. Psychological Evaluation A doctor or mental health worker will ask you a range of questions about your thoughts, moods, delusions, hallucinations, and substance use.
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The process of testing and diagnosis will include: Neurological disorders, including seizures, strokes, and neurocognitive illness.Autoimmune disease, like lupus, hypo- or hyperthyroidism, or autoimmune encephalitis.Infectious disease, such as HIV and syphilis.Medication interactions (combining certain drugs that causes hallucinations and other symptoms similar to schizophrenia).Legal or illegal drug use, including marijuana substance use.Other conditions that can be associated with psychotic symptoms include: A doctor will test for - or diagnose - schizophrenia by ruling out other medical conditions that may be causing symptoms. No single, definitive test exists for schizophrenia. Thorough clinical interviews are used to diagnose the disease. That’s partially because people with schizophrenia symptoms may not realize they have it and may not take themselves to a doctor for treatment. While many of the symptoms can be controlled over time with proper treatment, symptoms of schizophrenia may be severe, and schizophrenia can be difficult to diagnose. (3)ĭrug Use Some scientific studies suggest that using mind-altering drugs like marijuana or methamphetamine, especially during the teenage years and early adulthood, can increase the risk of schizophrenia. Uterine Environment Researchers have linked exposure to certain viruses or malnutrition in the womb to schizophrenia. (3) These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, help brain cells in different parts of the brain communicate with one another. ( 6)īrain Chemicals Problems with certain chemicals in the brain may increase your risk of developing schizophrenia. If one twin is diagnosed with schizophrenia, the other has as much as a 46 percent chance of developing the disease, per Stat Pearls. The family link is most evident in identical twins. (2)Īmong people with schizophrenia, most of the risk of developing the disorder (80 percent) seems to be related to genetic factors (which include particular genotypes, variations in genomes, and family history), according to a study of Danish twins published in the March 2018 issue of Biological Psychiatry. People who have a parent or sibling with schizophrenia have about a 6 times higher risk of developing schizophrenia than the general population. Schizophrenia tends to run in families, though not everyone who has a parent with schizophrenia will get the disease. They reported their findings in the journal Nature. They found 128 distinct gene variants that were associated with schizophrenia. In 2014, more than 300 scientists from around the world compared the genomes of 37,000 people with schizophrenia with more than 113,000 people without the disease in the biggest-ever genetic schizophrenia study. Genetics Certain genes have been linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia, but no single gene appears to be responsible for the disease.ĭefects in those genes may increase the risk of schizophrenia by causing disturbances in the connections between brain cells. Risk factors for schizophrenia may include the following: