Symptomatological structure of volatile solvent-induced psychosis: is "solvent psychosis" a discernible syndrome?
Solvent-induced psychosis has been clinically identified among patients suffering from dependence on volatile solvents and those in psychotic state due to chronic solvent use. To clarify the symptomatological difference between solvent-induced psychosis and schizophrenia, the principal component analysis with VARIMAX rotation was applied to the point and duration estimates of symptoms observed among the solvent group and among the schizophrenic group. There were no significant group differences in age and family history of any psychosis. The study findings are as follows: (1) It is difficult to distinguish two groups based on the prevalence rates of symptoms alone. (2) However, the principal component VARIMAX rotation analysis of the prevalence and duration observing among the solvent group revealed seven factors consisting of "amotivation", "intoxication", "emotional instability", "delusion", "hallucination", "disinhibition" and "memory". The seven factors explained 75.4% of the variance of the symptoms in this group. (3) The same analysis applied to the data from the schizophrenic group showed six factors consisting of "thought progression", "emotional instability", "amotivation (or negative symptoms)", "delusion", "hallucination" and "anxiety". These factors explained 62.9% of the variance in the data of the schizophrenic group. These results support clinical observations the "amotivational syndrome" may be a characteristic feature of patients suffering from solvent-induced psychosis. The results also suggest "solvent psychosis" is a discernible syndrome, and is distinctive from psychotic symptoms of typical schizophrenia.
Wada
Kiyoshi
K
National Institute of Mental Health, NCNP, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-cho, Kodairashi, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan.
Nakayama
Kazuhiro
K
Koishikawa
Hiraki
H
Katayama
Masafumi
M
Hirai
Shinji
S
Yabana
Tatsuo
T
Aoki
Tsutomu
T
Iwashita
Satoru
S
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects*
D012997:Solvents