Posted by med_empowered on February 22, 2005, at 16:46:17
In reply to Re: Why I Hate Neuroleptics and Forced Hosptialization, posted by SLS on February 22, 2005, at 16:34:47
the "enlarged ventricles" seen in as-yet untreated schizophrenics have been touted as a "sure sign" that the disease is biological is origin. The problems with these and other "findings" (such as reduced volume of the thalamus, etc.) include: 1) although some studies have identified brain "abnormalities" that are more common in the schizophrenic group than the non-schizophrenic group, these "abnormalities" tend to be observed in BOTH GROUPS. They also are not found in ALL, and, often, not even in MOST schizophrenics. The difference between the two groups, then, is one of frequency of the observed abnormality. Compare this to...brain cancer. THose who have brain cancer can be diagnosed with a brain scan showing the presence of tumor. Those without brain cancer don't have such tumors. The physical differences between the two groups is such that they establish a diagnostic test, and the differences are pretty simple: present or not present, therefore the patient is sick or not sick. This is not the case in schizophrenia or any other mental illness. Besides, controlling for neuroleptic use doesn't control for the use of other substances--legal and illegal.
poster:med_empowered
thread:461854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050222/msgs/461887.html