The ravages of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a severe mental illness that can lead to a complete break with reality, progresses gradually as the victim suffers increasing brain tissue damage. Using magnetic resonance images with the same patients over time, Thompson tracks the tissue loss.

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Normal brain Early deficit Tissue loss is mainly in the parietal lobes of the brain. Such patients typically have sensory disturbances such as hallucinations, hearing voices, or experiencing bizarre thoughts. Five years later Tissue loss has engulfed the whole brain. At this stage, victims may suffer severe depression, social withdrawal, delusions, and an inability to distinguish fantasy from reality. The worsening symptoms coincide with increasing tissue loss.