Can Brain Scans and Imaging Help in Diagnosing Schizophrenia? | with Dr. Tracey Marks
We got to sit down with Dr. Tracey Marks ( @DrTraceyMarks ) to learn about how brain scans and imaging can be used to identify or diagnose schizophrenia. Thank you so much Dr. Marks for chatting with us!
You can find Dr. Tracey Marks' KZhead channel here: / @drtraceymarks
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My friend is hereditary schizophrenic and he hears voices all the time but he is actually very organised and even works hard at a job. He is also very musical. At night however i have heard him scream and argue with his voices at times he has done that for many years but he just gets on with things during the day and people have no idea he has it only his close family and friends.
Iam fealing that too
I'm glad you utilized Dr Tracy Marks. I have been following her for a few years now and have learned a lot from her. Thank you for listening to my suggestion to involve her.
How do u know it was u
@@RR-kz4hq just a guess. I don't know who else made the suggestion.
The collabs with Dr.Tracey have been the best so far. Thank you for the support.
I have to add something, but correct me if I'm wrong: Dr. Marks says that these scans aren't specific enough to be used to validate the diagnosis. That may be true, but the problem is also, that these brain changes seen in studies are drawn from larger samples or individual cases where they did occur in fact. And even in the large samples, you don't see these changes very often. The vast majority of schizophrenics do not show any MRT differences to normal people and that means about 80-90 %. If they did, it would probably be common practice to do MRT scans, even if it is expensive and not specific to schizophrenia, because the diagnosis is not that easy to make (psychiatrists still struggle (if they are honest) to really tell what a delusion or hallucination is and how negative symptoms can be distinguished from depression) and therefore such a scan would help a lot. It would be something objective after more than 100 years of not so much progress in schizophrenia research. I've struggeled with this MRT problem for quite some time, because I'm diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia, but do not show any abnormalities in the MRT. And whenever I read about this topic, I think that it would be great if all schizophrenic patients showed MRT differences, because since I do not have them, I couldn't possibly have the diagnosis. But it's just not true, yeah it's not even suggestive of not being schizophrenic if you don't show any abnormalities in the MRT. This clarification rarely gets mentioned in textbooks or articles, usually it's just something along the lines of what we hear in the video: Dr. Marks didn't explicitly say that these changes occur in every case, but she did suggest it (a bit) by talking about the costs of the MRT and the lack of specificy for the diagnosis. The papers say similar things, they (somehow) forget talking about that and it's almost impossible to find exact numbers on this topic. The only numbers I found were those in the study I linked below. But it could have negative consequences for the patient if doctors think that a normal MRT can't possibly mean that the patient is schizophrenic. And also, a counter-intuitive "fun" fact: It's usually those schizophrenics with a slow, chronic course of the illness with predominantly negative symptoms that show brain abnormalities in the MRT and not those with an acute onset and a dramatic symptomatology. Here is a study that anyone who is interested in the topic may find worth reading: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22416264/
Wow, thanks for your very informative comment. It’s good to see someone else interested in the academic aspect of schizophrenia. I know loss of grey matter is something that happens in schizophrenia. But I’m glad to see brain scans are mostly normal. Something else I’ve learned from an expert in the field of traumatic brain injuries: Diffuse brain damage is more serious than obvious trauma in specific areas of the brain. This can be related to psychiatric disorders… where damages or differences are not apparent to the eye, but have great effect on functioning. Side note: When I was a kid, the enlarged ventricles pictures scared the heck out of me.
Thank you for sharing this information. It's important to know there are absolutely zero definitive tests for mental illnesses. I personally stopped watching Dr. Marks videos because she often explains things roughly/vaguely and throws a technical term or two in there. It's rarely a clear explanation or complete picture. I watched her videos for a very long time. Sometimes they seem hopeless or condescending. They definitely never mention the honesty of mental health care- we don't know what causes what illness, we usually don't know which medications are effective, and we have no real tests to confirm a diagnosis. It's a total disservice to patient/consumers of mental healthcare. It feels insulting to me when a psychiatrist gives a vague explanation- it's as though I'm an idiot because of my mental illness and couldn't possibly understand. I'm also super irritated that she said "normal brain."
The study you link shows all psychotic patients not just people with schizophrenia. So it would include a lot of people who had bipolar and other disorders as well.
@@nonamenojane I agree with you. What they don't mention is that nobody has proven that those changes in the brain are not due to the medication that almost every patient with schizophrenia takes. In fact, there is a lot of evidence that antipsychotics destroy the grey matter of the brain. Also, "schizophrenia" is a vague syndrome that does not correspond to any real illness so how could we diagnose it with a brain scan? I encourage anybody who is interested in the science of mental health to look into critical psychiatry (the Mad in America website for exemple) because all that mainstream psychiatry has to offer is prejudice, pseudoscience... and a lot of drugs! But those drugs cause the illness they are supposed to treat : "antidepressants" cause tardive dysphoria and "antipsychotics" cause neuroleptic-induced deficit syndrome.
@@genevievem4899 Completely agree. There are waaaaaay too many unknowns and too little to prove any theories about definitive diagnosis/causes/treatments. I do take meds, and they help, but I weigh it all carefully. I'm also a fan of Mad in America, a great suggestion.
My beautiful son as had this awful illness for 7 years ,he is 27 now ,its a living hell for him .he is deemed medication resistant ( nothing works he as tried loads of antipsychotics, depos ,even clozapine that caused myocarditis of his heart) My heart breaks for him ,as nothing works. I did read that it's the antipsychotics that cause the grey matter probs in the brain after taking them for a long period of time . Would be interesting to see what the brain looks like before the start of antipsychotics, and then again after long continuing use .
Your videos are always great and I'm really enjoying the collabs with Dr. Tracey
It is important to approach mental illness with empathy and understanding, rather than perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
Fascinating!!! Thanks to both of you 🙏🏻
I watch both of your sites regularly. My daughter Sarah had a DNA swab done to see what medicines work best for her based on her genetic makeup. Both of you are fantastic. Thanks
I don't really know if this is the mentality of schizophrenics as myself but me, I don't go around comparing ourselves to others to get their sense of self worth. As everyone else I look at my true value and improve myself by my standards
Thank you for bringing this video! It answered the questions I was thinking about.
Love the collab, thank you for making these videos ❤
Beautiful to have you two together. I've been following you both for a long time 😉
I love that you are teaming up! Dr. Marks' content has been so helpful in learning more about my bipolar.
Same here, Dr. Marks saved my life.
@@kingjsolomonboth scammers selling merch
This video came at exactly the right time. A fMRI is in the works of being prescribed and this info was very helpful. Thank you.
That's very interesting ,I had a scan in my early diagnosis but I think it would be helpful for peace of mind to have other scans later on due to the stress that some people go through
At last they declared to me that I was becoming dangerous and that they should lock me up in a madhouse if I did not hold my tongue. Then such grief took possession of my soul that my heart was wrung, and I felt as though I were dying; and then . . . then I awoke.
Love Dr Tracey Marks! She’s in ATL where I am!
Tracy, thanks for this video, it helped me get a clear understanding what schizophrenia does to the brain.
Thank you so much . This is very helpful ❤
In the other vid too she was great in terms of doing psychiatry right. I have a background in social work, licensed to practice as a therapist, many typical “therapists” in the US are LISWs, but the philosophy and ethical codes for SWs conflict with a the nature of how psychiatry sometimes is practiced. I loved before in the other vid how she talked about how a lot of mood disorders and psychotic disorders aren’t just about your NTs but deeper connections and doesn’t posit that eco factors aren’t influential.
Thank you Lauren!😁
Great questions. I've always wanted to know why they don't use these scans for diagnosis. Thanks!
Great video. Very informative! :)
love the content here!
Great video, learnt alot 😀
Our favorite mental health advocates!
2 scammers selling merch
You are doing a useful job
I make videos about my schizophrenia too ❤ love how in depth your videos go
Showing what tools can and cannot do 👍
This is very good, and I have a question for Dr. Tracy Marks. I have read that schizophrenia resembles fronto-temporal dementia. What is currently thought to distinguish one from the other?
good video lauren!
I have hydrocephalus caused by aqueductal stenosis. So my ventricles are too small. So I guess I have whatever the opposite of schizophrenia. Really interesting video!
Thank you
Thanks!
Thank you!
Hello everyone! Thank you a lot for all of this information, I learned a lot as well. Since I suffer from schizophrenia this video is very insightful. But there is one question I have: Do the antipsychotics really help the brain somehow? I'm asking because I've read quite a lot of negative things about the antipsychotics. The main problem are definitely first of all the side effects, but also that antipsychotics even lead to having a smaller brain overall ("hirnanthrophie", it is called in german, i do not know the exact translation). Not only that, when taking antipsychotics, you have a very much larger risk of suffering from dementia (later on). I think the huge side effects are not discussed enough. Also here in Germany, everyone just wants me to take pills left and right, but the people often seem to forget I'm only human after all and the antipsychotics do not only help me, they also have negative effects that can be quite severe. And even though I have been taking my medicine as prescribed, I am unsure if this is really the only solution available. Especially because I've had a relapse even though I took my antipsychotics every day.
Sorry you had to hear that. It's a thing. That "step-wise" decline is very similar-sounding to the vascular dementia (which I think is usually from cardio/stroke, clogged arteries, etc heart issues). I'll have to listen to this again when I'm more awake. I was listening for any kind of "step up!" (for beloved family member) but that doesn't seem to be a thing. It would be great if they could link schizo to vascular (the more "physical" deterioration side versus mental). Ie, if they find a predisposition in kids, maybe a heart pill along with some dietary changes could significantly improve time before onset (or even eliminate onset)?
Did she mention SPECT SCAN? There is a place in Irving Texas called Amen clinics if anyone is interested. They do this spectacular scan
They involve radiation...
Does anyone also have peudoseizures as part of their schitzoeffective disorder
Two of my faves!
2 scammers selling merch and sucking you in😂😂😂😂😂😂
Right now I'm not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. But I'm hearing sounds from All people around me.
Turn on recording device and turn it on for while. If it doesn't record sounds, it means they don't exist.
"grey matter is where the nerves are?" What I've learned is that it consists of the cell bodies of neurons. Does Dr. Tracey Marks mean that the cell body of neurons makes up a nerve or tract? not the axons?
Mainly I'm getting Angry and Depression and anxiety and rest less and Everything with out I don't know. Please control it my dear brother and sister 🇺🇸 USA and 🇮🇳 India....
I think the best way to diagnose schizophrenia with a brain-scan is to check if there is asymmetry in the parahippocampal gyrus.
Dr Tracey, what about autism? How autistic the brain look like? Which of the brain tests is the best for an autistic teenager?
I've been diagnosed with schizo-affective and bipolar disorder before, and have even been put on court ordered injections of psychiatric drugs in the past before too, and for some time there I almost thought that all hope was lost, but apparently it looks like it wasn't and I might have even been able to unlock some sort of like an 'overdrive mode' or something in my brain too, and I don't take any kinds of psychiatric drugs right now either, and in fact just take what you might call some more 'alternative' substances instead, as well as drink some alcohol and smoke some cigarrettes, the more organic ones too if I can, but I can probably do many things that those with my diagnosis or who've been injected with psychiatric drugs for that long can probably never even think of doing or coming anywhere maybe even close to actually doing, like driving a car at high speeds and for long distances, working full-time which I'm actually a bit out of a job at the moment, but will be looking for ones again soon, and up until fairly recently have also been able to lift some pretty heavy weights and stuff too, and in the past had really bad social anxiety but right now my confidence seems to have increased like very significantly and I also seem to be able to like talk shit right now too you can say like nobodies business..
And just in case anybody has been like living under a rock for a while now or just had their heads glued to mainstream television or something, then you would know that some sort of a societal collapse or something like that could happen or at least in some places as soon as like one to two to three years from now, so it might be time to also start prepping, it might be time to if you're able to to go and get your guns and ammunition and canned goods and water..
And speaking of that too, people like felons and 'mentally ill' people should be allowed to own guns too most of them, shall not be infringed..
Let’s just be clear, less gray matter is a direct and known consequence of the meds. Interesting tidbit, the Antidopaminergics increase functional lateralization, that is, brain functions move to only one side of the two hemispheres. This is associated with ‘better functioning’ vs two sided processing, ie people score higher. I can understand that, because if given task processing stays on only one side of the hemispheres, you don’t need time to send the data to the other side through the corpus callosum, so the neurotypicals will process everything faster so you have trouble fitting in. Otoh I am suspecting there’s also some downside to not integrating both hemispheres.
And hows the braim with squisoeffective disorde
What if i have a normal brain, but my brain and my mind work in conjunction to enabled my schizophrenia, With no abnormalities in my physical brain?
I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder not to long ago and the psychiatrist that told me i had it was trying to explain it to me and i still dont really understand it. I know i have psychosis i just dont know what exactly understand the other parts to schizoaffective.... could someone dumb it down for me?
How long did it take to diagnose you with it? It's actually used as a trash can diagnose for shrinks to use so they can't get sued. They diagnose it with one symptom of a mood disorder and one symptom of a "schizophrenic" symptom, so basically mood disorder by the way you move and thought disorder, and they are off the hook and unable to get sued. If you are having it, the evaluation process would take years to be sure of this particular diagnosis. In its original form it is said to have those wild mood episodes (drugs, overspending, uncontrolled sexual behavior, then the lows suicidal ideation, anhedonia and so on) and in absence of those mood episodes there are psychotic episodes. So basically mania, depression, psychosis, mania, depression, mania, psychosis. (That's why it takes years to be sure of this particular diagnose.) If mood episodes and psychotic symptoms overlap it's bipolar with psychotic elements. If it didn't take years to diagnose it, get a second opinion.
@@kareendeveraux1847 Thanks, and it took about a year and a half
Why dont you interview Daniel Mackler and others for an alternative view?
My delusions today started weak but now it's 8 PM They have gotten more deeper and powerful Is this normal
Dude…get off the internet
Hi doctor I have intensive low self-esteem from extreme hostility I've received and panic in every conversation nowadays I'm falling into continuous delusions, are theses two related
Stop listing your private health on KZhead your being harvested genius get Off the internet
@@lukehanlon3814 40 years of much insecurities. That surely doesn't help
Dr. Marks are you taling new patients?
❤❤❤❤
Daily I'm talking tablets with high dozens.. Please control it 🙏 Please make me intelligent guy and good guy ...
So would ADHD be opposite to schizophrenia?
Just cut ties with my mother that has been schizophrenic since I was 12. I'm responsible for her divorce when I was 30, I'm the doctors and the police that took her ( her delusion) I've lived with her schizophrenia for so long I almost don't know how to have normal relationships with people because of her.. please don't do that to your children. Even if your relationship fails after 30 years. Don't tell them not to call their dad, dad. Don't do it. I raised my sister who was 9 because my mom couldn't even stop at stop signs when I'd ride with her. I've been spit on, chairs thrown, threatened to have my head cut off and still she manages to convince even cops she's the victim. Do not ever do this to your children or child
Leave her. Ok? Just leave her be
I've been pinging all night, the optimistic view simply keeps me awake. Sorry for the shit before
U should keep ur hair the way it is it’s so much more attractive
An doctor Watson made the medical journal in 1969 from healing 80% of every mental illness simply from diet
Your ignorance is tragic…go do some research and educate your audacious self PLEASE.
@@kingjsolomon wow slap me in the face,
@@kingjsolomon but if this information made international news and one of the worlds leading medical reach magazines do you think that I'm ignorant, where over a thousand cases completely healed from every mental illness, while you personally know there's no profit in a cure, in a world where every doctor makes more from drug companies sponsorship
Pinky and The Brain?
5:30 why are you blinking so much?
was thinking the same thing
she mentioned in the past that it's mild tardive dyskenesia
tardive dyskenesia, perhaps also anxiety or struggle with eye contact can be a factor. slightly rude question btw lol, but now you know i guess
she has a mild form of tardive dyskenisia. She mentioned this on another video.
@@duerremueller3609 Which video did she mention it in...? I watch almost all of her videos but I must've missed it.
While it is depressing that schizophrenia seems to still be a mystery to doctors and scientist, I love how your digging for answers and explaining your experiences on this channel…it makes me feel not alone. 🥹❤️
inter-ogga-tive. did i set myself up for failure?, did i melinger? do i really am sick? allow i to elucidate. i was forced to to the most unwanted job in the military. "recruiting" i went crazy during recruiting duty and told the commanding officer i still wanted to work when he told me to not work. after they hospitalized me. ironically someone got kicked out for quitting while i was being committed in the hospital. i had statements from when i was in recruiter school written on me to validate me before i reported to recruiting. in the next unit i was off meds because i quit them. and i was assigned to the rifle range shooting qualification. i did not want to do it, i told my command that i was in the mental hospital and they removed me. that friday i was in the hospital committed by the therapist. i was back in the hospital 2 more times. committed both times. then i was being medically retired. i get full military veteran benefits, full disability benefits. im rich in benefits. but i dont care about that stuff. i just want to quit the medications my caregiver makes me take.
Thanks!
Thank you for your support!