Positive and Negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are those that involve an excess or distortion of normal functions. These symptoms include:
1. Hallucinations: Sensory perceptions that occur in the absence of external stimuli, commonly auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), but can also involve visual, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory sensations.
2. Delusions: Fixed false beliefs that are held despite evidence to the contrary. Delusions can be persecutory (belief of being targeted or mistreated by others), grandiose (belief of having exceptional abilities or status), or bizarre (implausible and illogical).
3. Disorganized thinking: Manifested as disorganized speech patterns, incoherent or tangential thoughts, and difficulty in organizing thoughts and ideas cohesively.
4. Disorganized or abnormal motor behavior: Includes agitation, catatonia (immobility or excessive movement), and bizarre posturing or grimacing.
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia involve deficits or diminishment of normal functions and include:
1. Affective flattening: Reduction or absence of emotional expression, leading to a lack of facial expressions, limited eye contact, and monotonous speech.
2. Alogia: Poverty of speech, characterized by brief or absent replies, reduced spontaneous speech, and difficulty in elaborating thoughts.
3. Avolition: Decreased motivation or inability to initiate and sustain goal-directed activities, resulting in social withdrawal, neglect of personal hygiene, and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
4. Anhedonia: Diminished ability to experience pleasure or derive enjoyment from activities that were previously rewarding.
5. Cognitive deficits: Impairments in attention, memory, executive functions, and other cognitive processes, leading to difficulties in problem-solving, decision-making, and maintaining employment or academic functioning.