Psychotic disorders causes

These data show that for three psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and unipolar depression) the genetic contribution is over 50% but for reactive depression (in response to a traumatic life event ) and tuberculosis, an infectious disease caused by a species of Mycobacterium, environmental factors account for over 90% of the variance. 

Chronic cocaine use can cause a syndrome of insomnia, hallucinations, delusions, and apathy. This syndrome develops around the time when the euphoria turns to a paranoid psychosis, which resembles paranoid schizophrenia. Further, after cessation of cocaine use, the hallucinations may stop, but the delusions can persist. Still, the incidence of a persistent cocaine-induced psychosis appears to be rare. One study found only 4 out of 298 chronic cocaine users receiving a diagnosis of psychotic disorder (Rounsaville et al. 1991). This incidence is approximately the... 

Manic-depressive illness connotes a psychotic disorder of affect that occurs episodically without external cause. In endogenous depression (melancholia), mood is persistently low. Mania refers to the opposite condition (p. 234). Patients may oscillate between these two extremes with interludes of normal mood. Depending on the type of disorder, mood swings may alternate between the two directions (bipolar depression, cyclothymia) or occur in only one direction (unipolar depression). 

Antipsychotics are drugs that have a specific sedative effect, and which improve the attitude and calm the behavior of psychotic patients. They do not cause dependence, and have been proposed for treating psychotic disorders (elimination of psychotic symptomatology— delirium, hallucinations) and schizophrenic patients. Drugs of this group are also frequently referred to as neuroleptics. The term major tranquilizer was used previously to distinguish them from minor tranquilizers/anxiolytics. 

The specific etiology of psychotic disorders has not currently been sufficiently investigated. It is believed, however, that the initial cause of psychotic behavior may originate from an imbalance of dopaminergic functions in the CNS. Many researchers adhere to the opinion that a large increase of dopamine activity in specific regions of the CNS is the cause of abnormal behavior. 

Psychotic disorders Cautiously treat patients suffering from psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, or confusional states and keep under careful surveillance because exacerbations of these conditions have been observed with oral administration. Autonomic dysreflexia Use with caution in patients with a history of autonomic dysreflexia. The presence of nociceptive stimuli or abrupt withdrawal may cause an autonomic dysreflexic episode. 

Psychotomimetic agent Chemical agent (e.g., BZ) that damages the central nervous system and causes loss of feeling, paralysis, etc., resembling some psychotic disorders. 

Recent case reports have suggested that atypical antipsychotics may also benefit patients with PTSD. For example, low doses of risperidone in combination with an antidepressant or mood stabilizer were reported effective for nightmares and flashbacks in patients with treatment-refractory PTSD ( 292). Both clozapine and olanzapine have also been reported to reduce PTSD symptoms in patients with a co-morbid psychotic disorder ( 293, 294). Finally, olanzapine added to fluoxetine resulted in significant improvement of hyperarousal symptoms in a patient with treatment-refractory PTSD caused by severe childhood physical and sexual abuse (295). 

FIGURE 10—6. Depressive and anxious symptoms are not only a hallmark of major depressive disorder but are frequently associated with other psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder with organic causes of depression, such as substance abuse with childhood mood disorders (child) with psychotic forms of depression and with mood and psychotic disorders resistant to treatment with drugs (treatment-resistant), among others. 

Haloperidol, zuclopenthixol, fluphenazine, flupentixol and pipothiazine are available as depot intramuscular injections for maintenance treatment of patients with schizophrenia and other chronic psychotic disorders. Provided the patient is willing to agree to have depot injections, usually by a community psychiatric nurse at intervals of 2-4 weeks, the need to take tablets two or three times a day is removed. Poor compliance with oral medication is the most common cause of admission to hospital with a relapse of schizophrenia. A reduced initial dose of the depot medication should be given, with a review for unwanted effects after 5-10 days. 

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