Catatonic schizophrenia patients show extreme immobility and can stay in the same position for extended periods of time. Frequently, the position patients assume seem uncomfortable or unusual. All aspects of patients' lives are affected by this severe mental disorder, including disturbances in perception, thinking and emotions. The causes of catatonic schizophrenia are not fully understood, but seem to involve genetics, stressful life events as well as abnormalities in brain biochemistry.
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitter are chemicals that brain cells use to send messages to one another. Abnormalities in two different neurotransmitters, dopamine and glutamate, have been suggested as causes of catatonic schizophrenia. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter responsible for memory and learning. Reduced levels of this neurotransmitter have been linked to catatonic schizophrenia. Dopamine, on the other hand, is associated with pleasure and feeling rewarded. In 1979, during the "Neuropsychopharmacology, Proceedings Fifth Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum" meeting, Dr. J. Van Rossum presented his now classic finding and suggested that schizophrenic patients may have too many dopamine synapses, or locations where the dopamine is stored. Dr. P. Seeman, on the other hand, suggested that schizophrenics may have an increased number of dopamine receptors, cells responsible for reacting to dopamine. He publish his breakthrough findings in the journal "Science" in 1984.
Family History
All different schizophrenia types have a strong genetic component. It has been shown, for example, that if both of the parents suffer from schizophrenia, over 40 percent of the time, the child will be diagnosed with the disorder himself. Having a sibling with schizophrenia increases the risk of having the condition to approximately 10 percent, according to Schizophrenia.com. They go on to say that 10 different genes have been linked to schizophrenia as of 2010. Interestingly, the correlation of schizophrenia between identical twins--who share the same genes--is less than 50 percent. This indicates that schizophrenia is not caused by genetics alone.
Stressful Life Event
Schizophrenia.com says that in addition to family history, a person needs to be exposed to a stressful life event and specific environmental factors for the genes to become activate and trigger the illness. The environmental risk factors associated with schizophrenia include, for example, poverty, childhood abuse, social isolation, death of a loved one and substance abuse.
References
- "Neuropsychopharmacology, Proceedings Fifth Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum"; Rossum; 1979
- "Science"; Bimodal distribution of dopamine; P. Seeman; 1984
- Schizophrenia.com: Heredity and the Genetics of Schizophrenia
- Schizophrenia.com: Prevention
- Ohio Health: Catatonic Schizophrenia
