reasons for early and aggressive treatment in schizophrenia
schizophrenia is a progressive disorder characterized by frequent relapses and clinical deterioration that requires early and aggressive treatment the process of relapses treatment failure, and incomplete recovery leads many patients to a debilitating, chronic course of illness research indicates that progression is characterized by measurable brain volume deterioration and loss
a structural brain using magnetic resonance imaging, found significant decreases in gray matter volume in multiple brain regions of 14 unmedicated patients with schizophrenia compared with 13 control patients patients in this study also underwent neuropsychological testing so that researchers could assess potential correlations between these structural brain abnormalities and cognitive deficits findings from this study showed that gray matter atrophy, specifically in the prefrontal cortex was directly related to distrinct deficits in mental flexibility and set-shifting ability
the unmedicated patients in Bonilha study demon strated a relationship between an abnormal prefrontal cortex and the decreased mental flexibility that is a symptom of schizophrenia mental flexibility is required for an individual to evaluate his or her own thinking decisions and behavior through processing of relevant information and evaluation of alternative positions for individuals to function appropriately in addition a majority of individuals with schizophrenia have poor insight (disease awareness) regarding the fact that they have a psychotic illness schizophrenia's potential impact on insight that can accompany exacerbations of schizophrenia complicates long-term pharmacotherapy for patients with poor insight are twice as likely not to adhere to medications