This book provides the reader with a thorough understanding of schizophrenia as a complex brain disorder by explaining the various aspects investigated for its cognizance from epigenetics to chemistry and physics to computational approaches. The book covers the key notions of schizophrenia from a variety of facets such as neurogenetics, neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, neurobiology, psychotherapy, psychiatric treatment, cognitive studies, behavioral and societal studies, and computational neurosciences. Individual chapters are focused on crucial topics such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, brain functioning, computational neuroscience, neuro-imaging, and many more. This book explains each section and chapter with utmost clarity to maintain comprehensiveness for every kind of reader. This book covers various classical as well as recent topics from basic to advance level knowledge regarding schizophrenia. The book's contributions regarding its inclusivity of topics, comprehensiveness of language, diversity in knowledge, and focus on the subject will attract all kinds of readers. It can be considered a single comprehensive handy reference book for beginners, including medical students, neuroscientists, researchers, clinicians, and medical practitioners. Cognizance of Schizophrenia will be an invaluable asset for all who are involved in neuroscience research or clinical studies.

This book provides the reader with a thorough understanding of schizophrenia as a complex brain disorder by explaining the various aspects investigated for its cognizance from epigenetics to chemistry and physics to computational approaches. The book covers the key notions of schizophrenia from a variety of facets such as neurogenetics, neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, neurobiology, psychotherapy, psychiatric treatment, cognitive studies, behavioral and societal studies, and computational neurosciences. Individual chapters are focused on crucial topics such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, brain functioning, computational neuroscience, neuro-imaging, and many more. This book explains each section and chapter with utmost clarity to maintain comprehensiveness for every kind of reader. This book covers various classical as well as recent topics from basic to advance level knowledge regarding schizophrenia. The book's contributions regarding its inclusivity of topics, comprehensiveness of language, diversity in knowledge, and focus on the subject will attract all kinds of readers. It can be considered a single comprehensive handy reference book for beginners, including medical students, neuroscientists, researchers, clinicians, and medical practitioners. Cognizance of Schizophrenia will be an invaluable asset for all who are involved in neuroscience research or clinical studies.

Schizophrenia was 20th century psychiatry's arch concept of madness. Yet for most of that century it was both problematic and contentious. This history explores schizophrenia's historic instability via themes such as symptoms, definition, classification and anti-psychiatry. In doing so, it opens up new ways of understanding 20th century madness.

As the recovery research continues to accumulate, we find that the mainstream understanding of schizophrenia and psychosis has lost nearly all credibility: -- After over 100 years and billions of dollars spent on research looking for schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders in the brain, we still have not found any substantial evidence that these disorders are actually caused by a brain disease. --We have learned that full recovery from schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders is not only possible but is surprisingly common. --We’ve discovered that those diagnosed in the United States and other “developed” nations are much less likely to recover than those in the poorest countries of the world; furthermore, those diagnosed with a psychotic disorder in the West today may fare even worse than those so diagnosed over 100 years ago. --We’ve seen that the long-term use of antipsychotics and the mainstream psychiatric paradigm of care is likely to be causing significantly more harm than benefit, greatly increasing the likelihood that a transient psychotic episode will harden into a chronic psychotic condition. --And we’ve learned that many people who recover from these psychotic disorders do not merely return to their pre-psychotic condition, but often undergo a profound positive transformation with far more lasting benefits than harms. In Rethinking Madness, Dr. Paris Williams takes the reader step by step on a highly engaging journey of discovery, exploring how the mainstream understanding of schizophrenia has become so profoundly misguided. He reveals the findings of his own groundbreaking research of people who have fully recovered from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, weaving the stories of these participants into the existing literature and crafting a surprisingly clear and coherent vision of the entire psychotic process, from onset to full recovery. As this vision unfolds, we discover . . . . . . ways to support those struggling with psychotic experiences while also coming to appreciate the important ways that these individuals can contribute to society. . . . a deeper sense of appreciation for the profound wisdom and resilience that lie within all of our beings, even those we may think of as being deeply disturbed. . . . that by gaining a deeper understanding of madness, we gain a deeper understanding of the core existential dilemmas with which we all must struggle, arriving at the unsettling realization of just how thin the boundary really is between madness and sanity.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment involving the induction of a seizure through the transmission of electricity in the brain. Because of exploitation movies and greatly heightened drug company promotional activities ECT was used less frequently in the 1980s and 1990s. Eventually these movies were understood as unrealistic. Now these drugs are increasingly recognized as dangers to body health. Because of recent refinements and a far better scientific understanding of the clinical procedures and mechanisms underpinning ECT, this treatment modality has seen a resurgence in use and widespread appreciation of its safety. This book is the new definitive reference on electroconvulsive and neuromodulation therapies. It comprehensively covers the scientific basis and clinical practice of ECT as well as comparisons between ECT and medication therapies including the new generation of antipsychotic drugs. It also provides readers with administrative perspectives and specific details for the management of this modality in clinical practice. The new forms of nonconvulsive electrical and magnetic brain stimulation therapy are also covered in detail, in a separate section. The chapter authors are leading scholars and clinicians.

“The landmark book that argued that psychiatry consistently expands its definition of mental illness to impose its authority over moral and cultural conflict.” — New York Times The 50th anniversary edition of the most influential critique of psychiatry every written, with a new preface on the age of Prozac and Ritalin and the rise of designer drugs, plus two bonus essays. Thomas Szasz's classic book revolutionized thinking about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. By diagnosing unwanted behavior as mental illness, psychiatrists, Szasz argues, absolve individuals of responsibility for their actions and instead blame their alleged illness. He also critiques Freudian psychology as a pseudoscience and warns against the dangerous overreach of psychiatry into all aspects of modern life.

M. C. Roco and W.S. Bainbridge In the early decades of the 21st century, concentrated efforts can unify science based on the unity of nature, thereby advancing the combination of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and new technologies based in cognitive science. With proper attention to ethical issues and societal needs, converging in human abilities, societal technologies could achieve a tremendous improvement outcomes, the nation's productivity, and the quality of life. This is a broad, cross cutting, emerging and timely opportunity of interest to individuals, society and humanity in the long term. The phrase "convergent technologies" refers to the synergistic combination of four major "NBIC" (nano-bio-info-cogno) provinces of science and technology, each of which is currently progressing at a rapid rate: (a) nanoscience and nanotechnology; (b) biotechnology and biomedicine, including genetic engineering; (c) information technology, including advanced computing and communications; (d) cognitive science, including cognitive neuroscience. Timely and Broad Opportunity. Convergence of diverse technologies is based on material unity at the nanoscale and on technology integration from that scale.