Susan Artola

6 November 2017
G/T Independent Research

Annotated Source List

Balter, M. (2017). SCHIZOPHRENIAS UNYIELDING MYSTERIES. ​Scientific American​,

316​. Retrieved from EBSCO database. (Accession No. 122697189)

Researchers are trying to comprehend schizophrenia, but the complex background makes
causes and solutions hard to find. Large studies disregard the idea that schizophrenia is simple.
Based on experiments, with biological families and twins, researchers believe that there is a link
between genes and schizophrenia. This is difficult to prove because one simple gene is never the
final key that decides whether or not one has the disease. From the analyzation of SNP's three
main genes have been named as possible causes of schizophrenia: C4, GRM3, and DRD2. SNPs
can tell scientist an illness causing allele is nearby, or it could be the allele. A greater deal than
what is considered normal of C4 was found in patients with schizophrenia. When C4 is overly
present it can cut off large amounts of synapses and cause schizophrenia type symptoms.
However, many of the healthy control group also had a large amount of C4. The investigation
seems like it would provide answers but the data has been drawn inconclusive by many scholars.
The usefulness of the tests is the possibilities it highlights.
This source, was very relevant to the topic of genetics and can be used to draw
conclusion about what kind of genetics can cause schizophrenia. The article is impartial and
scientific because it focuses primarily on the facts, states both sides of many topics, and does not
use informal language. Although there is repetition and a confusing organization of thoughts in
the journal it is still a reliable source.

Begley, S., Anne Belli, G., Springen, K., & Underwood, A. (2002). The Schizophrenic Mind.
Newsweek​, ​139​(10). Retrieved from EBSCO database.
 Schizophrenia can be so real and compelling that one might do something unreasonable.
For example, Andrea Yates drowned her five kids one by one in a bathtub because Satan told her
that they will become impure. A diagnosis comes from having at least two symptoms:
hallucinations, constant hampered thoughts, chaotic behavior, delusions, or emotional
withdrawal. Extreme hallucinations or delusions are also identifiers for the disease. When the
patient is mentally removed from life or has strange physical conduct, they have catatonic
schizophrenia. If the sufferer is unable to trust reality then he/she has paranoid schizophrenia.
Researchers found that parent age and events during pregnancy are deciding factors for
developing the mental illness. Over the past twenty years an immense evolution for treatment
schizophrenic types have evolved immensely. Previous medication would dull everything while
newer ways suppress manifestation with minimal side effects. Stress may still bring the ailment
back.
A bias is not obvious because there is a lack of opinion. Many examples of real people
are given to help comprehension. The document sparks ideas about new solutions and
viewpoints. Even though, it is not recent yet still applies today.

DosReis, S., Johnson, E., Steinwachs, D., Rohde, C., Skinner, E. A., Fahey, M., & Lehman, A. F.
(2008, April). ​Antipsychotic treatment patterns and hospitalizations among adults with
schizophrenia​. Retrieved from PubMed database.

Professionals recommend that people consistently take their medicine, but this does not
always happen. Research shows that many people stopped medication within three months of
either starting a prescription or exiting a psychiatric hospital. A study was conducted to discover
if medication adherence is correlated to hospitalization. Both the people in the control group and
experimental group have schizophrenia, were between the ages of 21 and 62, and are located in
or around Baltimore, Maryland. Three described factions emerged from the study. One group,
light use, is defined as someone taking their prescription less than half of the time they could.
Continuous use, characterized by 80% or above medication adherence, and moderate use which
is in the middle of light and continuous use. Age, gender or race did not statistically effect the
study’s results. Based on the data it is more likely for a light and moderate user to enlist in a
hospital for multiple times and elongated intervals than uninterrupted use.
The manuscript is highly scientific because it is a report on what happened. All reports
and supporting sources are void of any opinion making them without bias. The study was done in
2008 and all the sources are from 2006 or earlier, but the research still applies and has relevance.
This data is helpful for those who are relapsing or forgetting to take their medication, but want to
stay out of psychiatric hospitals. The source is reliable and could be used as support for a
comparison of how to succeed as an outpatient.

Genetics: Depression link revoked. (2009). ​Nature​, ​459​(7250), 1037.

 Researchers have been testing what happens when a certain gene is removed. Once
removed the specimen changes, and that information is used to decipher what the gene does. In
organic chemistry, researchers have been pondering over how carbon gives its electrons. The
possibility that carbon shares its electrons differently than previously studied when introduced to
new compounds could be the next step in further discovery. The once popular 2003 experiment
was redone and researchers found no link between the gene 5-HTTLPR and depression. In
cognitive science the use of a robotic arm changes people’s perceptions so much that some actual
felt like they had a longer arm.
This article is not relevant; it was written in 2009 and technology has evolved past it.
New studies have come out with more relevant information. The source holds the application for
what one might want to look further into. There is bias in the paper illustrated by the lack of
opposition.

Glass, J. (2000). Nature vs Nurture. ​Parenting​, ​13​(10). Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier
database.

Nature and Nurture affect the minds of children. Nature (genetics) affect five main
characteristics also known as the big five they are: extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism,
conscientiousness, and openness. However, D.N.A. does not give exact orders as to how kids
will behave but sets the possibilities of personality. Nurture (the environment) guides what
someone will be based on the parameters produced from genes. The environment seems to be a
large effector for personalities. A test on IQ showed a direct relationship between age and genes
affect. This study leads many to infer that nurture has a greater effect during younger ages. Both
Nature and Nurture impact the way someone thinks.
Throughout the article there are good examples that clarify what is being talked about.
The article is well organized and very useful for drawing one’s own conclusions. However, the
source is not as relevant as it once was because it was written in 2000. There are many sentences
presenting the author's own life experiences that make the data appear relative to everyday life,
creating a bias. A new question of how age and genetics work together to continue changing
one’s personality is created through the author’s words.

Hung, Y.-Y., Chan, H.-Y., & Pan, Y.-J. (2017). Risk factors for readmission in schizophrenia
patients following involuntary admission. ​PLoS ONE​, ​12​(10)

A study in Taiwan compared the voluntary versus involuntary admissions (I.A.) into
psychiatric centers for persons with schizophrenia or similar conditions. Involuntary admittance
occurs when the patient is, according to the countries guidelines, unable to live on their own,
whether it be because they are harmful to themselves or others. Unconsented entrées into the
center have a higher chance of readmissions than when one enters the hospital of free will. The
data is meant to specifically understand the statistics of involuntary admission. If law forced the
patient to enter the psychiatric center, they could be part of the data, so long as they were
technically diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The defined data was
analyzed through tests such as chi-squared test and t-test. The age range was 27-49 years old and
more than half of them were male. Two periods of time were specifically compared for
readmission: 3 months and 1 year. 1 out of 6 of patients went back to the psychiatric center after
3 months. Of the remaining cases 1 out of 3 returned after 1 year. Age, gender, and marital status
were specifically used to analyze the likelihood of return.
The source is scientific stating only what was found in the study and goes on to state any
and all possible faults. The study showed little to no bias and is very relevant. The article was
published in 2017 and could be used to decide whether or not it would be worth entering
someone into a psychiatric center based on their likelihood of readmission.

Ledford, H. (2014). If depression were cancer. ​Nature​, ​515​(7526). Retrieved from EBSCOhost
database.

Depression research is not paid attention to as cancer studies are. Depression research is
in need of money just as cancer once was. It is challenging for people to advertise depression
research because the nature of the mental illness makes the suffers reserved. This is affected by
how hard it is to define depression and there the stigma about people with depression. This
cognitive disorder affects many, and it isn’t easy to identify and treat. Researchers are doing their
best with rats, but diagnosing them with depression is impossible. The created animal models do
not come close to depicting the human mind, and it’s mental illnesses. The mental illness is
complex because of the mixed parts going wrong and correcting the problem is not always
obvious or safely possible. One promising lead is deep-brain stimulation but it still needs to be
developed. While the mental illness isn’t cancer they are both serious matters that need to be
studied.
This article brings up and answers important questions. It starts out comparing cancer and
depression but later focuses more on depression. The challenges of researching something that
isn’t easily defined are addressed. The article can be used to advocate for larger amounts of
funding. However, the article is not very relevant because after two years they have most likely
dealt with the funding problems that are addressed.

Leo, J. (2016). The Search for Schizophrenia Genes. ​Issues in Science & Technology
32​(2). Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.

Ever since 1970, scientists have agreed DNA coding errors may explain mental illness.
The government funded many projects in hopes of finding genetic links and treatments to mental
disorders; while there has been sizable work done in the broad field, nothing significant was
found. According to this report, certain genes increase risk for schizophrenia, by about 4 percent.
These findings were disappointing for some researchers, but others argue that simply because
there was no obvious connection from one study does not mean there is none. Misuse of the
heritable argument lead to many possible mistreatments for schizophrenia. If there really is
something wrong with one’s mind, then drugs would combat chemical imbalances, but if the
disease is caused by environment, then therapy and life changes are better suited. These studies
have substantial funding yet come up with little new or useful information. Rather than genetics,
another study found external sources affected people’s chances of getting schizophrenia,
especially smoking cannabis during childhood.
This article reports on the less represented opinion that a biological relationship with
mental illness should not be the focus of schizophrenia researchers. However, it becomes very
biased by solely presenting one-sided arguments. The source is relevant to genetics and
schizophrenia, though it is antagonistic.

Lipska, B. K., & Weinberger, D. R. (2002). A neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia:

Neonatal disconnection of the hippocampus. ​Neurotoxicity Research​, ​4​(5-6).

Mental disorders are difficult to reproduce in animal models because the disease is so
uniquely human. The models are limited to mainly heuristic models, so it is based mostly from
observation rather than mathematical. Most animal models look into the dopamine levels
because of the strong links between the dopaminergic system and schizophrenia. The
mannerisms linked to dopamine levels such as lack of comprehension can be identified in animal
test subjects. These models are mostly used for testing drugs because of how reliable they would
be for anything else. The downside is that all the drugs that result are anti dopamine and there are
not many variations. The hippocampus is often linked to schizophrenia, so many studies have
tried changing it and warping other parts of the brain during development in rats. A test was
conducted in which dopamine levels in rats were changed. As youths the rats became reserved
and less social by adulthood they had memory problems and other schizophrenia symptoms.
The source utilizes mainly facts with little opinion. Although the source was not written
in the past 10 years it is relevant and brings up good questions as well as answers some. One
could use the journal to conduct experiments on rats, making sure to understand it is not a 100
percent reliable model.

Marder, S. R. (2014). Retreat from the radical. ​Nature​, ​508​(7494). Retrieved from EBSCOhost
database.

Researchers are disappointed about the results that treatment research presents. Many
new medications have been introduced since the 1990s but only one has shown any
improvements from drugs of the 1950s. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has
battled back and forth on how to approach the disease. Most recently funding has gone to
understanding rather than discovering new treatments. The hope is that with a firm grasp of what
clinically defines schizophrenia it will be easier to find effective treatments. In order to
scientifically find the cause scientist look at the brain while symptoms are active, but this can
lead to misdiagnosis. Some believe that just because a genetic marker is found a treatment won’t
necessarily follow. This leaves investigators with a problem either they can get funding for a way
to diagnose or risk no financial support and find treatments. There are new treatments that
redirect chemicals but cause negative effects such as schizophrenia.
The article goes in depth on what the NIMH wants from its researchers, and what has
been found. The stated guidelines are up to date as well as the information. The document can be
used for creating new questions and as a reference for reasons scientist research what they do.
The writer, an investigator financed partially by NIMH, has a bias created by the want to be
backed by the government.

Matei, V. P., Mihailescu, A. I., & Davidson, M. (2014). Is non-pharmacological treatment an

option for certain schizophrenia patients? ​Psychiatr Danub​, ​26​(4), 308-313. Retrieved
from PubMed database.
 In the past, therapies were bizarre and few found help. Then in 1952 researchers found
chlorpromazine which lead to the creation of neuroleptics: a drug that decreases nerve function.
Although not being a cure, since the medications discovery it has become very popular. Many
still suffer from the side effects: drowsiness, lack of energy, and weight gain. Since
antipsychotics can’t always be used, it is important to find non-neuroleptic treatments.
Researchers tried a harmless drug prescribed solely for psychiatric reasons (a placebo) as a
non-medicinal treatment. The short-term outcome was similar both when people took
antipsychotics and believed they were. However, the number of people who relapsed from a
placebo was 27% larger than with medication. It worked on some but did not have the
long-lasting effects neuroleptics do. Yet when the symptoms are extremely bad (ultra resistant
schizophrenia), they shouldn’t be the first choice because no matter how many antipsychotics are
used there is little gain. Instead sedatives should be used because they offer more help.
The source is not heavily biased, but some language can lead one to see a bias. A study
was referred to as “most interesting” which shows favor toward the work. The little bias that
there is does not interfere with the journal. The findings are relevant to medications involvement
with patients. This source is useful for bringing up the need to look at each type of schizophrenia
and use a treatment that will help.

National Institute of Mental Health. (2007, March 1). ​New details in schizophrenia treatment
trial emerge​. Retrieved November 2, 2017, from National Institute of mental Health
website:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2007/new-details-in-schizophrenia-treatme
nt-trial-emerge.shtml

An experiment tested three new drugs: quetiapine, olanzapine, and risperidone after the
subjects took and quit perphenazine. The medications were critiqued by how long patients could
continue without overbearing side effects. Then the subjects were surveyed on why they stopped
taking the drug. Quetiapine and olanzapine had an average of above six months before one
discontinued usage and risperidone had less than six months. Even though, the two drugs seemed
similar, olanzapine had more side effects. The main positive for antipsychotics was fairly
uniform across all the medications: enhanced human interaction. Also those who stayed with the
treatment longer found further success. From the study researchers were able to conclude that
staying with the medication can increase its affectivity. However, the drugs by themselves
without other forms of treatment are not enough to be helpful.
The article is a good resource with fine points and minimum bias. The source’s
qualitative information is useful for drawing facts about possible treatments, and deciding which
treatments are better. The document is fairly old, and science is constantly evolving, but the
information is still helpful.

The National Institute of Mental Health. (2016b, October). Mental health medications. Retrieved
February 15, 2018, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov
 There are many ways to treat mental illnesses, and it is crucial for each individual to
understand what works best for them. Before taking medication, be sure to tell your doctor of
what is being introduced and understand what it does. Antidepressant are mostly used for
depression, but different people react in unlike ways. Anti-anxiety medication helps lower
anxiety symptoms like panic attacks or distress. Stimulants assist ADHD and allow the recipient
be more attentive. Antipsychotic medication decrease psychosis, but it can take time to work.
Mood stabilizers are usually for those with bipolar disorder to help their balance brain. Children,
aged adults and those with child should be careful about taking any medicines. All of the listed
drugs do have side effects that should be taken into consideration before use. However,
medication is not the only treatment: therapies can also be supportive.
The source is from the National Institute for Mental Health and is very reliable. The
webpage is updated often and is a statement of facts, so there is no bias. It is relevant to
medication usage by supporting an argument with sturdy facts.

National Institute of Mental Health. (2016a, February). Schizophrenia. Retrieved from National
Institute of Mental Health website:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml

Schizophrenia is an illness that affects mental perceptions. There are three types of
symptoms: positive, negative and cognitive. Positive symptoms are what most medications treat
and can be seen through hallucinations or delusions, but negative symptoms are seen through a
personality or emotional disturbance. For examples lower enjoyment of life or lessened amounts
of speaking. Cognitive Symptoms are seen through a disruption in the mind either through
memory or thinking. Schizophrenia has many risk factors especially if a family member also had
it. There are no cures only treatments for the symptoms, but researchers continue to try to find
the cause.
The source is relevant to the topic of schizophrenia and can be used to understand the
mental illnesses’ background.

PennWell Corporation. (2016). Optical techniques help reveal schizophrenia’s origins. ​Laser
Focus World​, ​52​(3), 52. Retrieved from Science Reference Center database.

Researchers found new ways to look at the brain and its neurons. By using the newest
technology and microscopes, the genetic causes of schizophrenia were further identified. One
cause for schizophrenia is synaptic pruning, breaking neural bond, showed by a study of 100,000
people and 65,000 genomes. With the help of other studies and animals, scientists have come to
the conclusion that a protein called C4 is affecting the mind and could cause schizophrenia. This
information is used to draw a link between the adolescent age and their likeliness to have
schizophrenia. During teenage years, pruning happens more often than usual, this is also the
common age for schizophrenia to start. Therapy and other treatments are not likely to be
discovered any time soon, but the hope would be to decrease the pruning.
The source was written in 2016 by a corporation that seems to be trying to sell their
product. The article is biased but relevant to today’s science. There are things left out that other
sources had. It corroborates that the knowledge of C4 could be used for treatments. This
document could be used to find treatments.
Saks, E. (2012). A tale of mental illness — from the inside [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/elyn_saks_seeing_mental_illness/details

When Elyn Saks was diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia doctors told her it was very
likely that she would stay in a psychiatric hospital for the main of her life. She describes an
episode with disoriented speech , she had eaten little and started acting scared of no clear thing.
Dr. Saks describes her delusions as the feeling of murdering or other type of killing thousands of
people through thoughts. Another time with fellow law students disrupted speech occurred while
they were studying. Throughout the presentation Dr. Saks quotes from a journal. One type of
speech disruption, loose word association, creates a jumble of words in the mind that are
unlinked. Preceding the schizophrenia episode Dr. Saks was entered into a psychiatric hospital
throughout the presentation she stresses everyone's experiences are different. A stern position on
anti violence is communicated through such events.
The presentation is given through Ted Talks and by Elyn Saks. The account is relevant
because of her experiences with schizophrenic episodes and how she has handled them. There is
a little bias in her thoughts of psychiatric hospitals because of negative incidents. The
presentation’s application are how schizophrenia should be treated and a deeper understanding of
the symptoms.

Saks, E. R. (2013, January 25). Successful and schizophrenic. ​New York Times​. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com

Dr. Saks and her colleagues created a group of research subjects that all are high
functioning with schizophrenia. They are all successful and it is a general sample of the world
population. Except none are married, nor have kids, and most have been hospitalized. Each
individual has evolved a way to suppress the delusions along with medication and therapy, but is
useful to comprehend the causes of a schizophrenic occurrence. Doctors can be speedy to
provide patients just medication without considering what each person is set off by and their
ability to handle it. Knowing what that is and averting it may help one be high functioning. Some
control there sensory input to stop these events like blocking off sound. Many have utilized their
mind that once trapped them as tool against the symptoms. Recent studies of children
psychology have discovered the coping mechanisms for schizophrenia may also work for kids
with autism. Their unique strengths should be considered when diagnosing.
The article is relevant because it was written recently and was still useful. There is no
obvious bias because it is professional and just findings rather opinion based. Many could use
this to figure out what to do if diagnosed. The newspaper article lists viable coping methods that
succeeded for some of the high school graduates with schizophrenia and could work for others
struggling with the mental illness.

Treatment Advocacy Center. (2008, August 13). ​Schizophrenia - fact sheet​. Retrieved January
26, 2018, from Treatment Advocacy Center website:
http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org
 A persistent and recurring illness, schizophrenia modifies one’s thoughts, senses and
emotions. The mental illness affects an overall few percent of the American population. The
symptoms on average begin between ages 18 and 25. There are three types of manifestations
associated with schizophrenia positive, negative and cognitive. Positive symptoms are defined by
unusual impaired behaviors like hallucinations or delusions. Negative symptoms create a bland
or apathetic personality like less emotional expression or difficulty accomplishing everyday
things. Cognitive symptoms are expressed through a lower functioning of the mind like poor
focus or short-term memory loss. Diagnosing of schizophrenia is difficult because it can not be
identified by a common virus or bacteria. Research has yet to discover a single common link that
is accurate for a prognosis. When diagnosing schizophrenia doctors have to be thorough because
other mental illnesses share the same symptoms and treating incorrectly could be harmful. There
are no discovered cures for schizophrenia only treatments for the positive symptoms, which are
successful. However, the suicide rate is higher than the general public.
The web page is by a treatment advocacy organization devoted to helping people learn
more. There is no bias in the fact sheet because only facts are used without opinion. This
information supplies many with statistics and understanding of the mental illness. This is
relevant because it was written recently and continues to apply today.

Wilson, C. (2016). Teen gene link in schizophrenia? ​New Scientist​, ​229 ​(3058).
Retrieved from Science Reference Center database.

Schizophrenia affects many in negative ways. For example, a man had the feeling he was
being chased and broke into an apartment to get away. He was experiencing a symptom of
schizophrenia: hallucinations. Current studies state that any brain could be affected by
schizophrenia if it matures the wrong way. A popular study revealed 108 DNA areas that could
code for schizophrenia. C4 is one of the well known segments. By changing mice DNA scientists
were able to learn more about the jobs of C4. The gene communicates with immune cells, which
synapses need to be deteriorated (this is called pruning). When too much C4 is present immune
cells can over prune. Teens are especially at risk because during adolescence pruning happens
more frequently. Most of this is speculation and still needs to be supported. An eye condition is
being treated with medicine that combats C4, but it doesn’t help schizophrenia. However, at this
time there are very few treatments that are effective for those with schizophrenia.
The paper is fairly relevant, but it is lacking information for the opposing side. This
article was written in 2016 and is using data that has appears to be used in sources created after
it. However, the lack of negative points reveal a bias. Treatments that were alluded to based on
the reports in the article seem promising and the main use of this document is to help with
symptoms.

Yang, A. C., & Tsai, S.-J. (2017). New targets for schizophrenia treatment beyond the dopamine
hypothesis. ​International Journal of Molecular Science​, ​18​(8). Retrieved from MDPI
database.

Abnormal dopamine pathways in the brain may result in mental impairments. While,
genetics and environment can explain this no one gene is found to be the sole cause. Current
medication is better at treating the delusions and hallucinations rather than the other
manifestations of schizophrenia. Some studies of the drugs came up with positive developments
have come from some studies, but due to a lack of corroborating investigations the findings are
not being medically used. Unfortunately, comprehension of these different symptoms is not
complete. Most of these treatments are to balance the amount of dopamine. An antipsychotic that
interferes with serotonin and dopamine also relieves some of the side effects. Schizophrenia is a
human based disease and does not obviously affect animals so testing these drugs is problematic.
Even though some of the research is frustrating, the use of brain scans and increase in genetic
leads brings hope.
The source uses many scientific words that make understanding the content and meaning
difficult. From the loss of opinion one can infer that there is little to no bias in this journal. The
authors’ research could be used to understand treatments so one may go on and build upon the
data. Using the authors’ research, one can build upon it to create a new medication or therapy.
Written in 2017, the data and information of this piece are current.