AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Overview. Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning, and can be disabling.

Detailed explanation-2: -While schizophrenia is clearly a neurological disorder like stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and others – schizophrenia is still classified as a mental illness.

Detailed explanation-3: -Some research suggests that an imbalance between certain neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin, may be one of the causes behind schizophrenia. Antipsychotics, which are sometimes used to treat schizophrenia, can help to lower dopamine levels.

Detailed explanation-4: -Schizophrenia is associated with changes in the structure and functioning of a number of key brain systems, including prefrontal and medial temporal lobe regions involved in working memory and declarative memory, respectively.