Running head: MIND MALFUNCTIONS 1

When the Mind Malfunctions

Jonathan E. Porro

Stockton University

Author Note

Jonathan E. Porro, Elementary Education Major, Stockton University

Contact: ​porroj1@go.stockton.edu
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When the Mind Malfunctions

Humans rely on their brains for every task imaginable. Various parts of the brain control
social interactions, capacity for learning, perception, and identity. However, when the brain
malfunctions, disorders, whether psychological or learning-based, are developed. These
disorders have the potential to inhibit all of these processes to the extent that, on occasion, they
can be used as a defense in criminal proceedings.
According to the ​American Psychiatric Association​ (2013), psychological disorders are
“a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance[s] in an individual’s cognition,
emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or
developmental processes underlying mental function,” (p. 20). This is an extremely broad
categorization, stating that psychological disorders are defects that hinder the brain’s ability to
function on an intrapersonal and interpersonal level. This categorization has more to do with
one’s ability to function in society, rather than their ability to process and retain information.
Two such examples of psychological disorders are bipolar (I&II) and schizophrenia disorders.
The first affects one’s ability to maintain a consistent mood, cycling between manic and
depressive episodes. Hence, a person afflicted with bipolar disorder may have difficulty
functioning in society, as they may make others uncomfortable with their severe mood shifts.
This may lead to isolation if left untreated. The latter example imposes hallucinations and
delusions on the person affected, often hindering their ability to perceive reality, and, hence,
society. Isolation can often be seen here, as well. Both disorders also make it difficult to live
independently, as the severity of symptoms may be unbearable. In addition, treatment of
psychological disorders are often seen on a therapeutic and medicinal level (Mental Health
America). Various perspectives of psychology work in conjunction to provide recovery for
patients with both therapy and medicine.
For a look at learning disabilities, one would find the most information in what educators
across America need to adhere to: the ​Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)​. ​IDEA
is an act that was passed in 2004 which aimed to get learning-impaired students the rights they
had been previously denied in education and the workforce, and recognizes thirteen disability
categories, with specific learning disabilities being the most prevalent (LDonline.org). The law
recognizes learning disabilities as a “disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes
involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, [resulting] in the imperfect
ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations,”
(LDonline.org). The criteria seem to be similar to those listed in the ​DSM-V​, but actually contrast
it sharply. Whereas the ​DSM-V​ is concerned with mental function on the basis of social standing,
IDEA r​ egulations are concerned with malfunctions in the brain as they relate to a student’s
academic success. One significant disorder in this category includes dyslexia. Dyslexia affects
one’s ability to learn as it typically results in the confusion of symbols. This specifically hinders
the ability of students to comprehend written language, and, hence, fits into the criteria for
specific learning disabilities. Rather than solely providing therapy or medication, learning
disorders are often accommodated in the classroom and at home. Students with dyslexia, for
example, may be given more auditory instruction. In specific instances, the use of specialized
fonts that space letters and make them distinct from one another can also be used.
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As far as psychological disorders are concerned, they are often caused by environmental
and genetic factors working interdependently. This can be seen greatly in the case of mood
disorders, which can be “characterized by depression, mania, or both,” ( Fišar, Hroudová, and
Raboch, 2012, p. 9). Hence, mood disorders are often seen as being bipolar disorder or
depression. In these two disorders, heredity plays a huge role as being a genetic factor. The
DSM-V​ (2013) states that the risk of developing bipolar (I&II) disorder is increased ten-fold if
one is related to someone who has it. On top of that, it also lists gender as a risk factor for both
bipolar disorders and depression, with females experiencing worse depression for longer periods
of time. In addition, Fišar, Hroudová, and Raboch (2012) list two potential theories
hypothesizing genetic causes of mood disorders: neurotrophic and neuroplasticity. The
neurotrophic approach suggests that depression can be caused by neuronal damage resulting
from chronic stress. It is important to note that two molecules in the body primarily deal with the
maintenance of stress levels: cortisol and BDNF (Medina, 2014). To put it simply, cortisol is a
stress hormone that can severely damage the brain if left there for too long. This damage is
prevented by the presence of BDNF, which is “the premier member of a powerful group of
neurons called neurotrophins … [that] keep[s] neurons alive and growing in the presence of
hostile action,” (Medina, 2014, p. 68). When this molecule gets overwhelmed by excess amounts
of cortisol, it can be weakened, and the resulting damage can often take the form of depression.
On the neuroplasticity approach, depression can be caused by the “disturbance of nervous signal
transmissions in the brain at the level of chemical synapses,” ( Fišar, Hroudová, and Raboch,
2012, p. 9). In other words, the synapses, which connect neurons to one another and transmit info
via electrical pulses are experiencing some interference, which has yet to be specified, resulting
in mood disorders. On both of these theories, the causes of mood disorders (specifically,
depression) are seen result from damage in brain functions. The environmental factors of mood
disorders go hand-in-hand with the genetic factors, as Nabeshima and Kim (2013) suggest that
one’s genetic makeup can reduce tolerance to stress. Many aspects of the environment, including
a lack of community or nurturing at a young age, can cause stress to occur. If a person has a
genetic disposition toward stress it is likely that they will develop a mood disorder. In this case,
either of the two theories regarding the genetic causes of depression are able to be more
prominent.
Dissociative disorders are classified as “a disruption of and/or discontinuity in the normal
integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor
control, and behavior,” (DSM-V, 2013, p. 291). In this disorder, one’s autobiographical
perception and identity are negatively affected. Although it can often coexist in one patient with
another disorder, like PTSD or acute stress disorder, it can be less difficult to find the cause for
one’s dissociative disorder, as there are no known genetic risk factors. In fact, dissociative
disorders are prominently products of the environment, and ninety percent of all reported cases
are the cause of traumatic childhood experiences, such as abuse and neglect (DSM-V, 2013,
p.294-295). In addition to traumatic childhood experiences, dissociative disorders may persist if
there is a continuation of abuse throughout the life of the diagnosed person. Many dissociative
categories, such as fugue, amnesia, and identity disorder, are not known to have any studies
specifying a genetic cause.
Schizophrenic and psychotic disorders are classified as “abnormalities in one or more of
the following five domains: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking (speech), grossly
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disorganized or abnormal motor behavior (including catatonia), and negative symptoms,”

(DSM-V, 2013, p. 87). This disorder affects one’s perception of reality through either positive or
negative symptoms, and, similar to mood disorders, the genetic and environmental risk factors
work in conjunction. To start, schizophrenic disorders are hereditary. If someone has parents
who are schizophrenic, it is likely that they will also develop the disorder at some point in life.
This was proven in an adoption study in which orphans who had schizophrenic parents were
raised in foster homes or institutions, and experienced the same risk of developing schizophrenia
that they would have had otherwise (Gejman, Sanders, Duan, 2010). The vulnerability to the
disorder occurs also during the prenatal stages of development. During development in the
womb, a problem with one’s histones, which package and order DNA (Carr, 2017), “might
underlie a differential placental susceptibility to infections ... [which] might increase the
susceptibility to schizophrenia,” (Gejman, Sanders, Duan, 2010). Here, the connection between
the environment and the genetic makeup of the person with schizophrenia can be seen. One may
have faulty histones, but they need to also be exposed to infections, such as influenza, to have
that increased risk for schizophrenia. Aside from infection, another relation to mood disorders
can be seen when stress is involved. A person can be genetically predisposed to develop
schizophrenia, and the symptoms may lay dormant for many years, until a stressful factor of the
environment triggers it. These emotional stressors may include “urban birth or residence,
famines, [or] migrant status,” (Gejman, Sanders, Duan, 2010). These factors cause severe stress
on the brain, and cause the disorder to become evident.
Although psychology is often known in the realm of treating people through therapy and
medication, it is important to understand where mental illness fits into the court system; enter
forensic psychology. Forensic psychology is implemented in court to help clear the ambiguity
surrounding whether an accused individual is insane. This starts when a person accused of a
crime (and usually deemed guilty) pleas insanity, stating that a mental disorder was present and
active at the time of the crime, making them incapable of understanding or controlling the nature
of their actions (NAMI). This can even stretch far back into the initiation of the trial process
when the person deemed mentally ill “cannot understand the nature of the proceedings against
[them] or assist [their] lawyer in preparing [their] defense,” (NAMI). This shows serious
implications as to just how much the state of someone’s mind can affect a court trial. Santos
(2014) details four states of mental impairments that can be considered in the court of law:
severe delusions, low-functioning, compulsions, and overt agitation. Severe delusions affect
one’s ability to tell reality from fantasy. People suffering from this may “act out in various ways
to keep their distorted version of reality in order or to make it more tolerable,” (Santos, 2014).
This can be seen in severe cases of schizophrenic disorders, where someone may have voices
harassing them to commit acts of wrongdoing. In the next case, someone, due to low IQ or brain
trauma, cannot understand the impact or severity of their actions. Compulsions are when
someone has an uncontrollable urge to commit the crime. They may know that what they are
doing is wrong, but cannot resist it because of their mental illness. This can be seen in
cleptomaniacs, for example, who have the compulsion to steal, regardless of the money they
have. In the case of overt agitation, someone may completely black out or lose control of their
physical body, and cause harm to another person. In this case, they had no control of their
actions, and cannot be deemed guilty without the addition of “by insanity.” If the accused person
fails to meet the criteria for the insanity plea, diminished capacity can be implemented. This
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causes the person to still be prosecuted as a criminal, but the punishment will be slightly less
harsh.
To conclude, it is clear that, although the brain is a natural wonder, it can severely
malfunction at times. These malfunctions, whether they affect someone’s ability to thrive in
society or academia, can be developed through predisposed genetics or environmental
influences. If they are severe enough, they can lead people to commit criminal acts, and this can
affect their trial significantly.
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References

A Guide to Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System​ [PDF]. (n.d.). Arlington: National
Alliance on Mental Illness.

Carr, D. S. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2017, from

https://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Histone_Protein_Structure.html

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5.​ (2013). Washington, Londres:
American Psychiatric Association.

Gejman, P., Sanders, A., & Duan, J. (2010, March). The Role of Genetics in the Etiology of
Schizophrenia. Retrieved December 04, 2017, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2826121/#R37

IDEA. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2017, from ​http://www.ldonline.org/features/idea2004

Medina, J. (2014). ​Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school.​
Seattle, WA: Pear Press.

Mental Health Treatments. (2015, August 20). Retrieved December 04, 2017, from
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/types-mental-health-treatments

Nabeshima, T., & Kim, H. (2013, December). Involvement of Genetic and Environmental Factors
in the Onset of Depression. Retrieved December 02, 2017, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3897684/

Santos, K. (2014). Insanity defense. In J. S. Albanese, ​Wiley series of encyclopedias in criminology

and criminal justice: The encyclopedia of criminology and criminal justice​. Hoboken, NJ:
Wiley.

Zdeněk Fišar, Jana Hroudová and Jiří Raboch (2012). Neurotransmission in Mood Disorders,
Clinical, Research and Treatment Approaches to Affective Disorders, Dr. Mario Juruena
(Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0177- 2, InTech, Available from:
http://www.intechopen.com/books/clinical-research-and-treatment-approaches-toaffectiv
e-disorders/neurotransmission-in-mood-disorders