Page 346 - AWSAR 2.0

322 || AWSAR Awarded Popular Science Stories - 2019
Nose-to-brain Delivery of Liposomes: A Ray of Hope for Schizophrenia
Ms. Reema Narayan*
Email: nsreema@gmail.com
Bollywood stars are worshipped and looked upon by numerous people. Their lifestyle becomes a dream for many.
However, the myth of a rosy perfect life has often been broken when some of them shared their struggle with mental illness. Parveen Babi, one of the most beautiful yesteryear actors, was a victim of mental illness, which resulted in her ending her life.
“Sam* sitting in his office chamber often tells his colleagues that his best friends Tom* and Harry* (figments of his imagination) are trying to hurt him and ruin his job and is frequently heard talking to people from his imagination. When it was suggested that he consult a physician, he refused and said that nothing is wrong with him but with everybody else, only to realise later that he suffers from
Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, which affects a person’s ability to think clearly and thus impairs their behaviour and day-to-day activities. The person suffering from schizophrenia has thoughts or certain experiences which are far removed from reality and are often seen talking to imaginary people. Many of the reports state that patients refuse to believe that there is something wrong with them, which leads to them walking out of treatment. Apart from this, social stigma which surrounds these mental disorders results in many schizophrenic patients refusing to get appropriate treatment. World Health Organization (WHO) report states that over 23 million people worldwide suffer from schizophrenia and more than 50% people do not receive suitable care.
* Ms. Reema Narayan, PhD Scholar from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Karnataka, is pursuing her research on “Nanoparticulate Systems for the Treatment of Cancer”. Her popular science story entitled “Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Liposomes: A Ray of Hope for Schizophrenia” has been selected for AWSAR Award.