In people withschizophrenia, brain scans show there are structural differences compared to people without schizophrenia.
These differences may play a role in causing disordered thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Healthcare providers don’t use imaging tests alone to diagnose schizophrenia, however.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
Abnormalities in boththe structures of the brainand brain chemistry have been noted in people with schizophrenia.
Often theseearly symptomsare apparent years before a person is diagnosed.
Some of these early symptoms include:
Does My Child Have Schizophrenia?
Early signs of schizophrenia can be hard to detect because they often overlap with common adolescent behavior.
Moreover, these symptoms in people ofany age groupdo not necessarily mean that a person will develop schizophrenia.
Healthcare providers may use scans and tests in the diagnostic process, but not as a sole diagnostic tool.
These tests include:
These tests are safe and noninvasive.
This is usually done to rule out other medical conditions or physical factors that could be causing these symptoms.
Some medications and recreational drugs can also cause symptoms of psychosis.
A blood test that checks toxicology could determine if these medications might be responsible.
They will then write a report and send it to the healthcare provider who ordered the scans.
Results are usually made available to the healthcare provider within a few days, though this varies by facility.
The healthcare provider will then explain the results to the patient in an easy-to-understand way.
Brain scansaren’t usually ordered to look for schizophrenia.
Instead, they can help your healthcare provider rule out other conditions.
If the results are inconclusive, your healthcare provider may recommend additional testing.
They may also order the tests at certain intervals over time if they are monitoring for changes.
Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, your healthcare provider may prescribe antipsychotic medication.
Summary
Brain scans of people with schizophrenia can show structural differences in the brain.
Brain scans alone, however, can’t be used to diagnose the condition.
They may also discuss your symptoms with your friends and family members.
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