[The construct of late schizophrenia: a misleading concept].
In the DSM-IV, late schizophrenia is defined by an onset over 40 or even 60 of age, delusional ideas, hallucinations, favorable response to treatment and a good outcome. The relevance of this construct is discussed with regard to the French psychiatric tradition in which the dissociative syndrome is central to the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The occurrence of psychotic symptoms in patients over 60 raises difficult diagnostic questions and is considered according to the potential consequences of the diagnosis of late schizophrenia.
Bazin
Nadine
N
Service de psychiatrie, Centre hospitalo-universitaire de Versailles, 78157 Le Chesnay. nbazin@ch-versailles.fr
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005602:France; D006212:Hallucinations; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*