Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- 1 The paradigma of overlapping affective and schizophrenic spectra: schizoaffective conditions
- 2 The overlapping of the spectra: overlapping genes and genetic models
- 3 The continuum of psychosis and its genetic basis
- 4 Functional psychoses: molecular-genetic evidence for a continuum
- 5 State- and trait-related deficits in sustained attention in bipolar disorder: are there any overlaps with schizophrenia?
- 6 The concept of schizoaffective disorder: utility versus validity and reliability – a transcultural perspective
- 7 Phenomenological approaches to the schizoaffective spectrum
- 8 Clinical course of schizoaffective disorders
- 9 Depressive syndromes in schizophrenia
- 10 The overlapping of the spectra: brief and acute psychoses
- 11 Overlapping of the spectra: physical comorbidity between schizophrenia and affective disorders
- 12 The overlapping of the spectra suicide
- 13 Biological treatment of schizoaffective disorders
- 14 Psychological therapies and schizoaffective disorders
- Epilogue: The interface of affective and schizophrenic disorders: a cross between two spectra?
- Index
8 - Clinical course of schizoaffective disorders
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- 1 The paradigma of overlapping affective and schizophrenic spectra: schizoaffective conditions
- 2 The overlapping of the spectra: overlapping genes and genetic models
- 3 The continuum of psychosis and its genetic basis
- 4 Functional psychoses: molecular-genetic evidence for a continuum
- 5 State- and trait-related deficits in sustained attention in bipolar disorder: are there any overlaps with schizophrenia?
- 6 The concept of schizoaffective disorder: utility versus validity and reliability – a transcultural perspective
- 7 Phenomenological approaches to the schizoaffective spectrum
- 8 Clinical course of schizoaffective disorders
- 9 Depressive syndromes in schizophrenia
- 10 The overlapping of the spectra: brief and acute psychoses
- 11 Overlapping of the spectra: physical comorbidity between schizophrenia and affective disorders
- 12 The overlapping of the spectra suicide
- 13 Biological treatment of schizoaffective disorders
- 14 Psychological therapies and schizoaffective disorders
- Epilogue: The interface of affective and schizophrenic disorders: a cross between two spectra?
- Index
Summary
Introduction
The term “schizoaffective psychosis” was first introduced by Kasanin (1933) when he described a group of patients with good premorbid functioning who developed acute psychoses with a mixture of psychotic and affective symptoms, but fully recovered after a few months. While Kasanin is credited with introducing the term, it is defined differently now. Schizoaffective disorder is a complex illness whose definition has changed significantly over time. Despite the continued attempts to better define and classify schizoaffective disorder, much controversy and conflicting results remain. Unfortunately, schizoaffective disorders have been poorly investigated. Kahlbaum (1863) is usually considered the first psychiatrist in modern times to describe schizoaffective disorders as a separate group (Angst and Marneros, 2001). As Tsuang and Simpson (1984) reported, empirical findings are often contradictory and have at times supported the idea that schizoaffective disorder is (a) a variant of schizophrenia; (b) a variant of affective disorder; (c) a different and heterogeneous diagnostic group.
Regarding classification systems, in DSM-II schizoaffective disorder was included in the group of schizophrenic disorders, although some studies with controversial results were published (Procci, 1976; Harrow, 1984). While in DSM-III schizoaffective disorders had only the state of a remnant category, in DSM-III-R schizoaffective disorders were extended to a “true” entity with specific diagnostic criteria (Jäger et al., 2004).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Overlap of Affective and Schizophrenic Spectra , pp. 145 - 155Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006