Schizophrenia History: Definitions Through Time

Schizophrenia history goes back thousands of years. Over time, different schizophrenia definitions have held sway. Through the course of schizophrenia history, schizophrenics have been considered mystics, saints, possessed of evil spirits or servants of the Devil. Depending on the schizophrenia definition of the day, treatments have been as gentle as music and as violent as ice-pick surgery.

Two thousand years before the birth of Christ, an Egyptian book called the Book of the Heart described a mental condition with the symptoms resembling schizophrenia. To the Egyptians, the heart and mind were intricately linked, and mental symptoms were signs of physical heart ailments.

The Middle Ages saw Europe's first tentative steps towards a schizophrenia definition, although the definition was by no means a positive one. Mental disorders in the Middle Ages were seen as evil spirits that possessed the body. Given the psychotic behavior that defines schizophrenia, it is likely many schizophrenics were tried for either witchcraft or consorting with demons.

Schizophrenia treatment during the Middle Ages was basically exorcism. Attempts to cast out the "evil spirits" sometimes required the "possessed" to listen to certain music. Other exorcisms were more severe: holes might be drilled into the skull to release the spirits, a treatment that no doubt killed more often than it cured.

The 1800s saw a slow progression towards an eventual schizophrenia definition. From the 1800s on, schizophrenia history begins to gain ground as researchers began to understand the nature of the disease:

Although the nineteenth century saw great strides towards a schizophrenic definition, "lunatic asylums" of the time were often little more than human zoos. For a fee, well to do ladies and gentlemen could tour the asylums, viewing the patients. No doubt the psychotic behavior of schizophrenics made them popular "attractions" during these degrading tours.

The start of the twentieth century saw, for the first time in schizophrenia history, a practical schizophrenia definition and the birth of effective treatments. In 1911 Eugene Beuler first used the term schizophrenia, and his schizophrenia definition includes symptoms such as blunted emotions, disordered thoughts, and loss of awareness.

Then in 1957, Kurt Schneider created the schizophrenic definition still in use today, and is the first person in the long history of schizophrenia to list the currently accepted features of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia history abounds in unusual treatments and bizarre "cures." Indeed, the twentieth century stands apart from the rest of schizophrenia history because it saw the first effective schizophrenia treatment: the first antipsychotic drug was created in 1952.

The twentieth century also saw some controversial schizophrenia "cures." Portuguese doctor, Egus Moniz, developed the lobotomy in the 1930s. Moniz won a Nobel Peace prize for his work in 1949.

The lobotomy procedure cut the nerve fibers from the frontal lobe to the interior of the brain, where emotions are generated. Patients were less agitated and aggressive after a lobotomy.

Of course, patients were also left indifferent and with blunted emotions, but this didn't squelch the lobotomy's popularity as a schizophrenia treatment. Patients could be released from hospitals after lobotomies, saving both hospitals and family members money.

Lobotomy procedures varied. American neurologist John Freeman created perhaps the most bizarre procedure. Freeman traveled America performing lobotomies for the benefit of audiences comprised of journalists and medical professionals: to call him a medical showman isn't stretching the truth much.

Freeman's lobotomies were simple, quick, and medically preposterous. With the patient under anesthesia, Freeman placed an ice pick (yes, you read that correctly) into an area just above the eyeball. Using a hammer, he drove the ice pick into the patient's brain to a depth of approximately one inch.

Lobotomies fell into disfavor as people noticed patients often died from lobotomy-induced epilepsy or surgical infections. Severe brain damage was also shown in many cases (not that it should have required a study to prove an ice pick to the brain caused extensive damage). Still, between the 1940s and the 1950s over 40,000 Americans were lobotomized.

Shock therapy was developed at the same time lobotomies were darkening schizophrenia history. Approaches to shock therapy varied. Some doctors used insulin injections; others preferred Metrazol or electricity. Insulin often left patients in comas. Both Metrazol and electricity caused seizures, and electric shock therapy often caused memory loss.

Surprisingly, electroconvulsive therapy is still used to treat some cases of schizophrenia and severe depression. Current techniques are supposed to be much safer, but many medical professionals consider electroconvulsive therapy very dangerous, and something that should only be used as a last resort.

Resources

Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. (2001). Electroconvulsive therapy.

Human Brain Informatics. (nd). Mental illness regarded as punishment or trial of god. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

Hubin Brain Infomatics. (2002). Lobotomy. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

Schizophrenia.com. (nd). Famous people and schizophrenia.

Schizonphrenia.com. (nd). The history of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia.com. (nd). Schizophrenia treatment: Electroconvulsive therapy overview.

Thinkquest.org. (nd). Exploring the mind: An eclectic view on schizophrenia.

Walters, R. (nd). Schizophrenia: A cyclical and heterogeneous dysfunction of cognitive and sensory processing?