Schizophrenia and Smoking - Admission/Application Essay Example

Schizophrenia and Smoking Smoking in the United s is rated to be approximately 25 percent. However, the rates arehigher among individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders as they are documented to be two to four times more according to population studies on mental-deficient patients. In essence, the studies have acknowledged nicotine as being profoundly efficacious towards advancing some cognitive mental disorders particularly schizophrenia and ADHD. Patients with schizophrenia are particularly more vulnerable to smoking addiction.

Research studies indicate that brain receptor systems, neurotransmitters as well as neuroanatomical structures and neurological functional pathways, all of which are affected by smoking play a role in relation to cognitive and affective disorders. Factually, neuropsychiatric deficits such as schizophrenia have been clinically found to be remediated by nicotine administration. More important is that smoking is more likely to benefit neuro-cognitive disorders among schizophrenia patients. Studies acknowledge that smoking is responsible for altering various key neurotransmitter mechanisms, neuroanatomical structures and neurological functional pathways such as the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is linked to memory.

Other systems affected by nicotine administration include dopamine, serotonin and endogenous opioid peptides just to mention a few. Ideally, Brain receptors for nicotine comprise nAChRs which are members of the neurotransmitter system and these have a significant role in the overall central nervous system. Essentially, there are two central nAChRs families; the high affinity and the low affinity. Both families and in particular the former comprise receptors that are sensitive to nicotinic antagonists.

Additionally, they are augmented in the cortex. As such, these families play a definite role in facilitating information processing as well as sensory integration. Consequently, stimulating the nAChRs neurons through smoking increases transmitter releases. According to recent research studies , smoking is known to results to desensitization and eventual inactivation of the nAChRs; a process that only takes approximately 7 days of repeated nicotine intake. Normalization of these receptors through smoking cessation on the other hand may take up to eight weeks proving that smoking maintenance and addiction is easier than termination.

Also, the cognitive implications of nicotine administration to the brain receptor and transmitters as well as other neuroanatomical structures are more clearly more severe. Among schizophrenia patients, repeated nicotine administration has more stringent implications on cognitive development as their receptors and transmitters are somewhat already lacking. In conclusion, brain receptor systems and neurotransmitters as well as neurological functional mechanisms have a role in schizophrenia progression and smoking addiction in that they are impaired causing advancement of the brain disorder.

In addition, the transmitters and neurological functional pathways are also responsible for smoking addiction. Works citedKristi A. Sacco, Katie L. Bannon, and Tony P. George, Nicotinic receptor mechanisms and cognition in normal states and neuropsychiatric disorders. Journal of Psychopharmacol, NIHPA Author Manuscripts. December, 2008print. Retrieved April 14, 2014 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1201375/World Health Organization Report, Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence-Summary.

WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. Switzerland. 2008print. Retrieved April 13th,2014 from: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/en/Neuroscience_E.pdf