Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that affects how a person behaves and their presentation of thoughts and feelings. (2) People with schizophrenia seem to have lost touch with reality and may exhibit episodes of psychosis. (1)
Schizophrenia often requires imaging or laboratory testing and behavior observation to understand the occurrence in a person. Non-treatment may result in relapses and mental disability, and the condition is treatable by a medical professional. (2) In severe cases, urgent medical attention is recommended.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
- Persistent Symptoms– The symptoms can be altered vision, taste, smell, and hearing, disorganized speech, thinking, hallucinations and paranoia. (1)
- Negative symptoms include social withdrawal, loss of motivation and lack of interest in daily routine, redundant expressions such as facial expression or voice tone, and sometimes reduced speech. (1)
- Cognitive Symptoms– include concerns in concentration, attention, memory, especially in learning new concepts, processing information, keeping appointments, diminished attention spans. (2)
Contributing Factors
Causes of Schizophrenia may be traced to depressions, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and others. It has been observed that severity in infection by COVID -19 may be an attributor to the condition of schizophrenia.
- Genetics Factors – A family history of schizophrenia may be a significant factor in the onset of the condition. Research suggests that different genes increase the risk of developing schizophrenia.
- Environment Factor – Factors of a person’s background such as poor living conditions, stress, malnutrition during pregnancy, and exposure to certain viruses may cause schizophrenia. A significant ripple effect of the ongoing pandemic has been incoherence in the mental health of affected persons and maybe leading to a state of schizophrenia.
- Brain Structure – Differences observed in brain structure, functions, and neurotransmitters as dopamine may trigger psychotic episodes and are evident factors in the cause of Schizophrenia. (2)
Treatment
Antipsychotics accompanied by counselling, job training and social rehabilitation are the main line of treatment for a person with Schizophrenia. Amisulpride is an effective antipsychotic with D2 and D3 dopamine receptors affinity, and it is used for the treatment of Schizophrenia. (3)The drug exhibits good efficacy and better tolerance with fewer side effects in a situation of discontinuance.
Antipsychotic medicines need to be administered under medical prescription. The common side effects observed may be weight gain, restlessness, drowsiness, dry mouth, etc. Sudden stoppage of the drugs can be dangerous. It may result in delirium and even something as fatal as suicide.
Administration
Psychological interventions like psychotherapy and skills training may help overcome the side effects and improve the condition. Amisulpride administered within the range (400 to 1200 mg/day) is an effective dosage with acute exacerbations of schizophrenia having primarily positive symptoms. (3) Amisulpride is also proven in maintenance therapy in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Long-term treatment with amisulpride can be effective with evidence of improvements in quality of life and social functioning. A consensus on the doctor’s and the patient’s decision can determine the correct dose, the efficacy of the treatment, and the medication combination for positive therapy. To bridge the gap between the real and unreal, a typical characteristic of Schizophrenia, the condition can be managed well with Amisulpride and other drugs and supportive psychological therapy.
Shubham Pharmachem: Engaging with healthcare, globally
As a Merchant Export Organization, Shubham Pharmachem Pvt. Ltd. is always in perfect harmony with such global initiatives in healthcare. The Indian brand is vertically integrated into the pharmaceutical industry to provide the best service to its clients due to its extensive and exhaustive research. The organization’s products include Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), herbal extracts, nutraceutical ingredients, and cosmetic ingredients.
A quintessential and well-leveraged network of sales interfaces has helped to leverage the business with an increase in turnover by 400% in 4 years only.
For more information, visit www.shubham.co.in
Disclaimer:
Shubham Pharmachem’s blog posts have been written using approved medical journals and websites online. Our research and the technical team strives to provide relevant information through such articles. We strongly advise readers to not consume or administer any medication without prior consultation with their doctor.
References:
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7851466/
