[Classification of long-term clinical course of 'atypical psychosis': a 20-year follow-up study at a medical school hospital].
To study the long-term clinical course and outcomes of atypical psychosis, 8 patients diagnosed with atypical psychosis were observed for more than 12 years (mean, 20 years). Retrospective examination was performed, particularly with respect to clinical features at each episode. The overall course of each case was classified as one of the following three types: Type I--"Recurrent confused state" type. Patients frequently repeated acute transient confused or dream-like states in a similar way, sometimes and/or for part of the episode accompanied by a floating paranoid-hallucinatory state. Duration of psychotic episode was short, persisting for a few days to about one month. Type II--"Manic-depressive illness similar" type. After a long course of disease, the predominantly early middle-aged patients (30- to 40 years-old) demonstrated fewer original characteristic features of acute confused or dream-like states. Instead, manic or depressive episodes tended to predominate. Duration of psychotic episodes exceeded the duration of type I episodes, to a maximum of about 3 months. Type III--"Appearance of residual state" type. After several episodes characterized by transient confused state during middle age, residual states consisting of a slight depressive state, reduced spontaneity and flattening of emotions appear. These states become durable and the periodicity of the disease disappeared. We conclude that the core group of atypical psychosis patients presents with confused symptoms as a clinical feature of episodes, and with the recurrent confused state type representing the long-term clinical course. "Shift to manic-depressive illness similar" and "appearance of residual state" types were considered to be derived from the core group, according to the interplay of personality structure and viable dynamics.
Otsuka
Koichiro
K
Department of Psychiatry, Jichi Medical School.
Kato
Satoshi
S
Abe
Takaaki
T
Sugiyama
Hisashi
H
Watanabe
Yoshihiro
Y
Kobayashi
Toshiyuki
T
Okajima
Yoshiro
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology