The brain is made up of nerve cells, called neurons, and chemicals, called neurotransmitters. An imbalance of one neurotransmitter, dopamine, is thought to cause the symptoms of schizophrenia. Serotonin, another neurotransmitter is also thought to play a significant role in causing the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Brain activity differs in a brain with schizophrenia and a brain without schizophrenia. In the brain with schizophrenia, far more neurotransmitters are released between neurons. Thus, the symptoms of schizophrenia occur.

The "dopamine hypothesis" has been the main theory regarding the cause of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Researchers believe that many of the symptoms of schizophrenia are a result of excess of dopamine in the brain. Antipsychot

Many people with schizophrenia find that their symptoms are alleviated with older antipsychotic medications, which are divided into groups depending on their potency. Potency is a measure of how much of the drug is needed to effectively treat the symptoms of schizophrenia. If a drug is low potency, more of it is needed to relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia. A high potency drug can be taken in smaller amounts to be effective. Medium potency drugs are effective in relieving the symptoms of schizophrenia when a medium-sized dose is taken.

Positive symptoms, which are the most recognizable symptoms of schizophrenia, are mental experiences that most people don't have. Not everyone with schizophrenia has exactly the same symptoms but most people have a combination of both positive and negative one.

New theories suggest that the neurotransmitter serotonin may also play a role in causing the symptoms of schizophrenia. Some antipsychotic medications treat symptoms of schizophrenia by blocking dopamine and serotonin transmissions. Many patients who have not been helped by "dopamine only" medications have been helped by medications that affect both dopamine and serotnin transmissions, such as Colzaril, Risperdal and Zyprexa.

Experts yet do not know the exact cause of schizophrenia, but they do know that the brains of people diagnosed with schizophrenia are different than the brains of people without schizophrenia. For instance, researchers know that when perform

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