Other - A Beautiful Mind

[eche05]

An essay I wrote for AP psych.

In the movie A Beautiful Mind, the main character John Nash suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, which alters his perception and expression of reality. The symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia include visual and auditory hallucinations, bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech, which significantly alters occupational and social functioning. Paranoid schizophrenia can be the result of acute traumatic events, environmental, or genetic influences. Areas of the brain that are affected by schizophrenia include the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, and the hippocampus. Excess dopamine produced in the mesolimbic pathway significantly exaggerates schizophrenic delusions and cognitive abnormalities. This dopamine theory of schizophrenia was discovered by the exaggeration of psychotic behavior under the influence of amphetamines (which causes a cascading release of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine), and a recession of symptoms after taking selective dopamine inhibitors and selective serotonin production inhibitors. Another neurochemical pathway associated with schizophrenia is the NMDA (N-methyl-dextro-asparate) receptor. The NMDA receptor is an ionotropic substrate of glutamate, which opens the ion gate in the presence of glutamate and glycine. When glutamate binds to an NMDA receptor, the nonselective ion gate is opened causing a influx of Na, K, and Ca, all of which are thought to play a role in schizophrenia. This theory was proven relevant in the exaggeration of symptoms under the influence of NMDA receptor antagonists, namely dextromethorphan, dizocilpine, and phencyclidine (PCP). NMDA receptor antagonists are not therapeutically used in schizophrenia treatment because influx of Ca+ ions are linked to brain vacuoles called Olney’s Lesions via cytotoxicity from neurological plasticity, as well as causing dissociative anesthesia and severe ataxia. Dizocilpine carries the risk of retinal and corneal damage from mydrasis of the eye; while PCP carries the risk of heart palpitations from its excitatory effect on muscarinic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (responsible for the violent behavior of individuals under the influence of PCP). Atypical antipsychotics, which inhibit dopamine and agonize NMDA receptors, effectively minimize paranoid schizophrenic symptoms and are thus much more preferable in drug therapy of schizophrenia. Unfortunately, in the movie, Nash was only treated with typical antipsychotic barbiturate sedatives, which did little more than sedate him. Nash was a brilliant mathematician similar to Einstein, who was proposed to have Asperger’s Syndrome. Nash exhibited social anxiety and speech inhibition when he stuttered and awkwardly structured his sentences, similar in structure to Einstein. I believe that the part of Nash’s brain called Broca’s Area, which controls speech production, was abnormally small; in compensation, I think Nash’s parietal lobe (Brodmann area 5 and 7 near the occipital lobe which controls abstract thinking, math, and spatial orientation) was able to grow larger. Einstein was very similar to Nash in mathematical thinking and social anxiety; also, his parietal lobe was abnormally large and his Broca’s Area was abnormally small. I believe this similarity in brain anatomy to Einstein may explain his exceptional ability to comprehend theoretical mathematics.

Two symptoms of Nash’s paranoid schizophrenia were his hallucinations and delusions, as well as his paranoia of the Russians. Early on in the movie, he did not show any symptoms of paranoia, though paranoia often develops later in a schizophrenic’s life, which is why it is widely undiagnosed. Schizophrenic episodes and paranoia could have been triggered by stress when Nash first went to college, and later when he was involved in the government on “top secret information.” His hallucinations continued to get worse, because of stress created from previous hallucinations. This effect continued to build until he had a psychotic episode and ended up in a psychiatric ward.

Nash worked to overcome his illness by simply ignoring the hallucinations, which proved to be inadequate in getting rid of them, although it allowed him to maintain some social standard and function in society. Nash was also given typical antipsychotic barbiturate derivative drugs, but he refused to take them because they were too sedating and impeded his cognitive functioning and ability to think mathematically. Unknown to Nash, his devotion to his work actually proved to be therapeutic by giving him direction and purpose in life. Absence of purpose and direction contribute and exaggerate mental illness and feelings of apathetic depression. Nash also dealt with his mental illness by speaking openly to others about it; it was easier for him to accept himself when others were willing to accept him. It was easier for others to accept his occasionally erratic behavior when they knew he was schizophrenic.

I believe that the main challenges the mentally ill must face are personal acceptance, effective treatment methods, and being productive occupationally and therapeutically. Personal acceptance may seem like an easy thing to do, but it could be difficult to accept a mental illness that society has chastised and ostracized as abnormal. The mentally ill may blame his or her self for the illness, which could foster feelings of depression and apathy and could serve to potentate his or her illness. Another challenge the mentally ill must face is the effect they have on their family. The family may feel guilty for disliking the burden imposed by schizophrenia, which could manifest itself in depression and discontent. The mentally ill could be aware of the burden he or she has caused their family and could feel equally guilty; this could cause depression which could also exaggerate symptoms. This cycle of guilt and depression would be very stressing on a family, which could ultimately cause volatility and division. Every mental illness is different, and must be treated differently. Most treatment methods carry risks and may ultimately prove ineffective if the effects create discontent in the user. Some treatments may cause undesirable side effects, which may make the patient want to discontinue treatment. The battle of choosing an effective treatment while minimizing side effects could be very involved and tiresome. The last challenge the mentally ill must face is productivity. Involvement in society may be undesirable if their mental illness differentiates and isolates themselves; though absence of productivity would result in depression and apathy. This struggle between societal isolation and personal productivity in society could cultivate turmoil and volatility in their mental status. Productivity is essential in personal achievement and ambition to better oneself and their condition.