Diagnosis of schizophrenia
Diagnosis is based on the person’s own experiences, observed behavioral changes reported by family members, friends or coworkers, and secondary signs observed by a psychiatrist, a social worker or a clinical psychologist help in diagnosing schizophrenia. There are no biological tests to confirm schizophrenia; tests are carried out to exclude medical illnesses. These include blood tests measuring thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH) to exclude hypo- or hyperthyroidism, full blood count including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) to rule out a systemic infection or chronic disease, serology to exclude syphilis or HIV infection. Two commonly ordered investigations are electroencephalogram (EEG) to exclude epilepsy and a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the head to exclude brain lesions. Delirium, which can be observed by visual hallucinations and fluctuating level of consciousness are important factors to detect this illness.
To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, a person must display the following characteristic symptoms:
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence; speaking in abstracts).
- Grossly disorganized behavior (e.g. dressing inappropriately, crying frequently) or catatonic behavior
- Negative symptoms, that is, affective flattening (lack or decline in emotional response), alogia (lack or decline in speech), or avolition (lack or decline in motivation).
Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date: Jan30th,09
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