title: Age disorientation in schizophrenia: an indicator of progressive and severe psychopathology, not institutional isolation.
abstract: The authors investigated age disorientation in chronic schizophrenia to determine whether specific symptomatic, neurologic, and cognitive disturbances were linked to its presentation. Disorientation to their age was detected in 30% (16/54) of the schizophrenic patients in a chronic care facility. In matched comparisons, age-disoriented patients showed lower educational achievement, poorer mental state performance, and a greater severity of symptoms, as well as more severe motor and sensory impairments. Levels of social withdrawal did not differentiate the two groups. A two-hit model consistent with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative processes is proposed to explain the data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Psychopathology, Harvard Medical School, Fall River, MA 02720, USA. Theo.Manschreck@dmh.state.ma.us
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Manschreck
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Winzig
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Candela
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beaudette
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boshes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012918:Social Alienation / Q000523:psychology*