Description
Oxford Mind Brain And Schizophrenia by Peter Williamson
Over the last two decades, molecular genetics and brain imaging have guided efforts to find the causes of schizophrenia. It is becoming increasingly clear that many genes are involved in schizophrenia and that they interact with other factors in very complex ways, which have not yet been elucidated. Neuroimaging techniques have allowed scientists and physicians to examine brain structure, function, and chemistry in living patients with schizophrenia but results so_x000D_far have been disappointing. No two patients seem to share exactly the same combination of clinical symptoms or physical findings. Yet all have the syndrome recognized as schizophrenia._x000D_The author of this accessible, well-written book argues that it is time to set aside the search for a single cause of schizophrenia and focus on the diseases final common pathway. He highlights clues from a wide range of research, including neurotransmitter, psychophysiological, and brain imaging studies. He then describes possibilities for the final common pathway at an understandable level in the context of what is already known about schizophrenia. While there are no preferred models of_x000D_schizophrenia, a pattern is emerging which implicates those structures in the brain known to be important in integrating perception, cognition, and affect. A better understanding of these processes will be critical for developing mor effective treatments. This book will help advance that effort. It_x000D_will be of great value to psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, neuroimagers, and basic scientists working in the field of shizophrenia research, and to their students and trainees. It will also be of interest to cliniciansand scientists concerned with other neuropsychiatric disorders, and to the families of those diagnosed with schizophrenia._x000D_ _x000D_1. The Evolving Concept of Schizophrenia ; 2. Candidate Neuronal Circuits ; 3. When Does Schizophrenia Begin? ; 4. Clues from Drugs That Affect Dopamine, Glutamine, and Other Neurotransmitters ; 5. Some Clues from Psychophysiology ; 6. Neuropsychological Studies ; 7. Imaging Brain Structure in Living Patients ; 8. Imaging Brain Function in Living Patients ; 9. Imaging Brain Chemistry and the Question of Neuronal Degeneration ; 10. Pieces of the Puzzle: Likely Components of the Final Common Pathway ; 11. Early Models of the Final Common Pathway 1: Disconnection and Coordination ; 12. Early Models of the Final Common Pathway 2: Basal Ganglia - Thalamocortical Circuits ; 13. Do the Models Fit With What We Know About Schizophrenia? ; 14. Implications for Treatment ; 15. The Way Forward_x000D_