Preface

Summary

Psychotic disorders of different etiologies have interested both clinicians and researchers, but for different reasons. People with psychosis have been some of the most challenging for clinicians to treat due to the severity and chronicity of symptoms. One potential problematic aspect of treatment is differential diagnosis as psychosis can result from numerous etiologies and many patients have more than one risk factor. A review of the presentation, course and progression, and optimal treatment strategies would certainly be useful for clinicians in making these determinations.

For researchers and theoreticians, secondary or “organic” psychotic disorders can provide clues to underlying neurobiological mechanisms of schizophrenia or psychosis in general. Unfortunately, thus far, this potential avenue of research has not been adequately explored. One problem is that the literature on the “so called” secondary psychotic disorders is not readily available for study or review. There are many different etiologies, thus amassing this disparate literature would take a concerted effort. In addition, much of the information on “organic psychosis,” particularly for the obscure etiologies, is provided in case studies or case series, many in difficult-to-find journals. We believe these problems in access to information have prevented researchers from mining this rich resource.

The purpose of this book is to address the needs of both clinician and researcher by providing comprehensive reviews of psychotic disorders of different etiologies in one handy resource. For clinicians faced with difficult and fascinating differential diagnoses, this compendium allows quick comparisons useful for diagnostic decision-making.