Cerebral, Psychosocial, Family Functioning and Disability of Persons with Schizophrenia

Abstract

The human brain is the most cognitively capable of mammalian brains, endowed as it is with an overdeveloped cerebral cortex that, in parallel, renders it vulnerable to mental disorders. Schizophrenia is the expression of the dysregulation of the neuronal activity of cortical and subcortical regions due to modifications in the levels of the various neurotransmitters, especially of dopamine, with a reciprocal, intimate relationship among genes with environmental and psychosocial factors. If the dopaminergic system increases the function prefrontal cortex will be reduced: this is the main reason of social, occupational and familiar disruption. The present article describes the function of the brain in schizophrenia and its relation with anatomical, physiological, and genetic changes, in addition to identifying, psychosocial and family factors that can be determinant in the functionality of the patient. A review of national and international bibliography was conducted bearing in mind the following variables: functioning at the cerebral level; psychosocial functioning, familial functioning, disability, and functionality in persons with schizophrenia. Due to the variety of the issues included in this review, it can be concluded that schizophrenia is the product of a complex array of symptoms, deficits and disabilities. It was identified that there is a reciprocal confluence of diverse genetic, psychosocial, familial, environmental, educative, and social factors which affect the functionality of persons with this disorder. The latter makes it necessary to study the patient taking into consideration all of these components in an integral manner.

Keywords:

• cerebral functioning
• psychosocial and family functioning
• disability and functionality
• schizophrenia

Acknowledgments

This publication was supported by the project “Symptomatic, psychosocial remission and functional recovery in patients with schizophrenia”. Project code and number: CF 41041. Direction of Epidemiological and Psychosocial Research. National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article, gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in this work.