Due to the rapid socio-economic development, people are under more and more pressure, while increased social competition, poor individual adaptability, and the lack of timely and effective psychological guidance and treatment, the number of patients with psychological and mental disorders in our population is increasing year by year. Among patients with mental disorders, some severe psychiatric disorders can develop into schizophrenia. However, schizophrenia, the highest stage of mental illness, is not well treated with medication. How can patients with severe schizophrenia be freed from the disease and return to normal family and social life? Schizophrenia is seriously harmful The age of onset of schizophrenia tends to be 15~45 years old, and the average prevalence is 7‰~13‰, while the incidence is 0.2‰~0.6‰, and the risk of the disease is closely related to genetics. So, what are the clinical features of schizophrenia? And what are the risks? Patients with schizophrenia are generally clear-minded and have normal intelligence, but most do not have self-awareness, i.e., they do not recognize that they are ill. They have impairments in perception, thinking, emotion and volitional behavior, and their mental activities are not coordinated with the outside world, with cognitive and social impairment occurring later in life. The disease poses a great danger to the patient’s body, mind and family. On the physical side, the main manifestations are intellectual impairment, amnesia syndrome, impaired consciousness, personality changes, and diminished social competence, and the patient’s ability to learn, work and live daily is impaired. Long-term medication can also cause serious harm to the body, including liver, kidney and lung function. In the mental aspect, it can cause anxiety, depression, compulsion, hallucination, hyperactivity, drug addiction, etc. Some of them can develop to a state of mental decline or even mental disability. In the personal, social and family aspects, patients are sometimes dominated by hallucinations, delusions, mood disorders and other psychiatric symptoms, which can lead to impulsive or violent problems, and then to suicidal, injurious and destructive behaviors, causing harm to themselves and others, and seriously affecting social and family safety. Early diagnosis and treatment can control psychiatric symptoms “Mental illness can be treated, and most patients have better treatment results. If detected, diagnosed and treated early, most psychiatric symptoms can be effectively controlled.” The principles of treatment for schizophrenia are the same as those for other mental disorders: effective control of its symptoms and the early return of patients to family and social life. In principle, medication is preferred and can relieve the vast majority of symptoms. Antipsychotic medication should be given in adequate amounts and courses, and the whole course of treatment should be actively implemented, and medication should be adjusted on an individualized basis. In addition, because the onset of schizophrenia is the result of a combination of factors, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, family and social interventions are essential along with pharmacotherapy. Family members should learn about the disease and assist in supporting the patient’s treatment to control the disease and achieve long-term stability; society should understand and tolerate patients without discrimination or prejudice; and patients, families and medical workers should establish a good therapeutic alliance to cope with the disease together. Surgical treatment can eliminate persistent mental disorders For patients who do not take medication or have poor results with long-term medication treatment, neuromodulation surgical treatment can be considered. The mechanism of this surgery is that there are neural loops in the human brain that control emotions, and the nuclei in these loops control various behaviors. The surgery reduces the content of abnormal neurotransmitters in the brain by neuromodulating the nuclei in the amygdala, cingulate gyrus, and anterior branch of the internal capsule, blocking abnormal neurotransmission and eliminating mental disorders. As for the safety of the surgery, “The surgical treatment has a 200-year history of development. Early surgery was simple and easy to perform, but it was more damaging and lacked safety. In recent years, due to the difficulty of curing patients with severe schizophrenia with drugs and the rapid development of precise micro-neurosurgery techniques, psychosurgery has gained renewed attention and promotion, and its safety and effectiveness have been unanimously recognized. Currently, the international application of DBS
There is now an international consensus on the use of DBS for the treatment of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. For patients with intractable mental disorders, neuromodulation treatment can be carried out after filing with the competent health authorities.” For indications for surgery for intractable schizophrenia, its an indication for 18 to 65
An important complementary treatment for patients with severe schizophrenia who are poorly treated with medication between the ages of 18 and 65. Preoperative CT/MRI/DTI of the patient’s head is required
The CT/MRI/DTI fusion localization of the patient’s head is required to target the nuclei to be modulated, avoiding motor and sensory nerves, and to plan the surgical path with a preoperative error of 0.01 mm. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and an 8-mm locking hole is drilled in the skull.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia, with an 8 mm locking hole drilled in the skull and a 2 mm electrode implanted, causing minimal damage to the surrounding brain tissue. Patients still need to take a small amount of anti-schizophrenic drugs for treatment after surgery. Family members should pay attention to the patient’s rehabilitation training and give warmth and care to the family to help the patient recover smoothly. Only through the joint efforts of doctors, patients, families and society can patients with schizophrenia truly recover their physical and mental health and return to normal work and life. Without active treatment, a significant number of schizophrenia patients have a poor prognosis and the harm caused is serious. Therefore, patients with severe schizophrenia must choose the appropriate treatment plan.