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Related Concept Videos

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Biological Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions01:30

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions

Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that can manifest with various positive symptoms, including thought, movement, and behavior disorders. These symptoms significantly disrupt cognitive and motor functions, leading to profound effects on an individual's ability to engage with the world.
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Schizophrenia01:17

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a term introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911, describes a severe psychological disorder marked by profound disruptions in attention, thought processes, language, emotion, and interpersonal relationships. The core feature of schizophrenia is psychosis — a state characterized by a fundamental detachment from reality. This disconnection manifests through distorted logic, impaired perception, and atypical behavior, severely affecting the lives of those diagnosed.
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions01:26

Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by a range of symptoms that significantly impact cognition, behavior, and emotional regulation. Among these, the positive symptoms stand out as they involve the addition or exaggeration of normal mental functions, deviating markedly from typical behavior and perception. Hallucinations and delusions are prominent positive symptoms, each profoundly affecting the individual's experience of reality.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
05:52

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Published on: November 21, 2013

A dynamical systems hypothesis of schizophrenia.

Marco Loh1, Edmund T Rolls, Gustavo Deco

  • 1Department of Technology, Universitas Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.

Plos Computational Biology
|November 14, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Schizophrenia symptoms may stem from unstable brain network activity. Reduced NMDA receptor function in cortical networks can lead to cognitive and emotional deficits, potentially explaining positive and negative symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Psychiatry
  • Theoretical Neuroscience

Background:

  • Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder with diverse symptoms.
  • Current understanding of schizophrenia's neural underpinnings is incomplete.
  • Attractor states in neural networks are crucial for cognitive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a theoretical framework for understanding schizophrenia symptoms.
  • To investigate the role of attractor state stability in cognitive and emotional deficits.
  • To link network-level instability to specific positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a statistical dynamical framework.
  • Employed integrate-and-fire network simulations.

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Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
05:52

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Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
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  • Manipulated NMDA and GABA receptor conductances to alter attractor basin depth.

    • Main Results:

    • Reduced NMDA receptor conductance decreased attractor basin depth, destabilizing network activity.
    • This instability led to decreased working memory, increased distractibility, and lower firing rates.
    • Altering NMDA and GABA conductances induced state switches and spontaneous activity jumps, mimicking positive symptoms.

    Conclusions:

    • Shallow attractor basins in prefrontal cortical networks can explain cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
    • Reduced firing rates in specific cortical areas may underlie negative symptoms.
    • Network instability and free movement within the attractor landscape may explain positive symptoms like delusions and hallucinations.