Differences in quality of life and course of illness between cycloid and schizophrenic psychoses - a comparative study.
OBJECTIVE
Cycloid psychoses represent a nosological entity not adequately recognised by contemporary psychiatry. They present with full recoveries after each psychotic episode and, thus, have a favourable prognosis.


METHODS
To verify this clinical observation course, outcome and quality of life (QoL, measured by the German version of the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile) of 33 patients with cycloid psychosis and 44 schizophrenics were compared after a mean time of 13 years since first hospitalisation. For comparison of objective and subjective QoL measures, 48 healthy controls were included.


RESULTS
Concerning the course of their disease, schizophrenics were hospitalised significantly longer and received higher neuroleptic doses than patients with cycloid psychosis. The latter displayed significantly better scores in the CGI, GAF, Strauss-Carpenter-Outcome and PANSS scales. In global QoL measures, cycloid psychotic patients were more satisfied with their QoL than schizophrenic patients, and did not differ significantly from healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Cycloid psychoses seem to exhibit a better prognosis than schizophrenia regarding course, outcome, objective, and subjective aspects of QoL. Thus, they appear to present a useful concept deserving more clinical and scientific attention.
Jabs
Burkhard Emanuel
BE
Department of Psychiatry, Julius-Maximilians-University, Füchsleinstrasse 15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany. burkhard.jabs@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
Krause
Ulrike
U
Althaus
Grit
G
Bartsch
Andreas Joachim
AJ
Stöber
Gerald
G
Pfuhlmann
Bruno
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003710:Demography; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010507:Periodicity; D011379:Prognosis; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires