Pathophysiology Of Schizoaffective Disor
Pathophysiology of Schizoaffective Disorder: Schizoaffective disorder is a mental disease that features both signs of schizophrenia and mood disorder. Because of the varied symptoms and signs, patients with schizoaffective disorder is difficult to diagnose and treat. There is no clear pathophysiology of is made exclusively to this disorder. Patients usually are present with cognitive deficits similar to those with schizophrenia and deficits in emotions and mood similar to those with bipolar disorder.
If any brain imaging techniques are performed on a patient with schizoaffective disorder, there is a noticeable reduction in white and gray matter in the brain. Looking specifically at neurotransmitter levels of the brain, patients diagnosed
with schizophrenia is seen to have too much dopamine and glutamate and too little serotonin.
Also, co-morbidities are seen very common with patients who have serious mental illnesses, such as, substance abuse disorder, anxiety, depression, panic disorder, etc.
Experts of schizoaffective disorder have identified characteristics that can lead individuals to become more susceptible to becoming diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, for example, prenatal stressors, birth complications, psychological stressors, developmental stressors, environmental stressors, stress drugs, and poverty.
In the nursing practice, the first nursing intervention should be retrieving a complete medical history. With the patient’s background information we can understand the patient’s health better and act accordingly to the patient’s needs. Usually schizophrenia and mental disorders are inherited by genetics, therefore we must assess rather the patient has a family history of mental brain disorders or any serious mental illnesses.
It is also possible that the patient is acting in a strange or abnormal behavior due to a medical issue, such as imbalanced electrolytes. We can run a drug/urine test, TSH/thyroid functioning tests, electrolyte levels, or CBC to rule out any medical diagnoses before treating them for a unnecessary disease that they don’t have.
There are additional rating scales and charts available to score the level or severity of the disease the patient is experiencing. If the patient is confirmed to have a mental illness, we need to assess them for a mental status examination and physical examination.
If any brain imaging techniques are performed on a patient with schizoaffective disorder, there is a noticeable reduction in white and gray matter in the brain. Looking specifically at neurotransmitter levels of the brain, patients diagnosed
with schizophrenia is seen to have too much dopamine and glutamate and too little serotonin.
Also, co-morbidities are seen very common with patients who have serious mental illnesses, such as, substance abuse disorder, anxiety, depression, panic disorder, etc.
Experts of schizoaffective disorder have identified characteristics that can lead individuals to become more susceptible to becoming diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, for example, prenatal stressors, birth complications, psychological stressors, developmental stressors, environmental stressors, stress drugs, and poverty.
In the nursing practice, the first nursing intervention should be retrieving a complete medical history. With the patient’s background information we can understand the patient’s health better and act accordingly to the patient’s needs. Usually schizophrenia and mental disorders are inherited by genetics, therefore we must assess rather the patient has a family history of mental brain disorders or any serious mental illnesses.
It is also possible that the patient is acting in a strange or abnormal behavior due to a medical issue, such as imbalanced electrolytes. We can run a drug/urine test, TSH/thyroid functioning tests, electrolyte levels, or CBC to rule out any medical diagnoses before treating them for a unnecessary disease that they don’t have.
There are additional rating scales and charts available to score the level or severity of the disease the patient is experiencing. If the patient is confirmed to have a mental illness, we need to assess them for a mental status examination and physical examination.