Jackeline Rodriguez
Psy/410
September 10th, 2014
Caroline Simpson
Neurodevelopmental and Neurocognitive Disorders
“The neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of severely disabling conditions that are among the most difficult to understand and treat. They make up about 3.2 percent of cases seen
In inpatient settings (Sverd et al., 1995). They are considered to be the result of some structural differences in the brain that are usually evident at birth or become apparent as the child begins to develop (Siegel, 1996)” (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2013, p. 527). “Major neurocognitive disorders are those that involve marked deficits in cognitive abilities. These may be apparent in such areas as attention, executive ability, learning and memory, language, perception, and social cognition (skills required for understanding, interpreting, and responding to the behavior of others). What is crucial is that there is a decline from a previously attained level of functioning” (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2013, p. 489).
According to the NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) Schizophrenia is a severe neurodevelopmental mental illness that affects more than 2 million Americans, predominantly in people 18 years of age and older. Unfortunately millions of American’s go undiagnosed, cannot afford healthcare, or do not know where to seek help. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) states that for an individual to be diagnosed with Schizophrenia they must first meet specific criteria. Although Schizophrenia is feared and misunderstood because there is no cure, it is manageable. Thanks to antipsychotic medication and psychosocial therapy, people who have been diagnosed with this disorder are now able to function within society and lead happy and productive lives.
Schizophrenia is not an easy disorder to diagnose and mental healthcare professionals have to follow strict guidelines before diagnosing a
References: Butcher, J. N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. M. (2014). Abnormal psychology (16th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Harrison PJ and Weinberger DR. Schizophrenia genes, gene expression, and neuropathology: on the matter of their convergence. Molecular Psychiatry. 2005;10(1):40-68. Huang HS, Matevossian A, Whittle C, Kim SY, Schumacher A, Baker SP, Akbarian S. Prefrontal dysfunction in schizophrenia involves missed-lineage leukemia 1-regulated histone methylation at GABAergic gene promoters. Journal of Neuroscience. 2007 Oct 17;27(42):11254-11262. Lieberman JA, Stroup TS, McEvoy JP, Swartz MS, Rosenheck RA, Perkins DO, Keefe RS, Davis SM, Davis CE, Lebowitz BD, Severe J, Hsiao JK, Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2005 Sep 22;353(12):1209-1223. http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/SchizophreniaSurvey/Summary_Schizophrenia_Survey_2008_NAMI_Harris_Interactive.htm Psych Central. (2014). Schizoaffective Disorder Symptoms. Psych Central. Retrieved on September 9, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/disorders/schizoaffective-disorder-symptoms/