RT Book, Section
A1 Reus, Victor I.
A2 Jameson, J. Larry
A2 Fauci, Anthony S.
A2 Kasper, Dennis L.
A2 Hauser, Stephen L.
A2 Longo, Dan L.
A2 Loscalzo, Joseph
SR Print(0)
ID 1177607839
T1 Schizophrenia
T2 Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 20e
YR 2018
FD 2018
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781259644016
LK accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1177607839
RD 2024/04/24
AB Schizophrenia  is  a  heterogeneous  syndrome  characterized  by  perturbations  of  language,  perception,  thinking,  social  activity,  affect,  and  volition.  There  are  no  pathognomonic  features.  The  syndrome  commonly  begins  in  late  adolescence,  has  an  insidious  (and  less  commonly  acute)  onset,  and,  often,  a  poor  outcome,  progressing  from  social  withdrawal  and  perceptual  distortions  to  recurrent  delusions  and  hallucinations.  Patients  may  present  with  positive  symptoms  (such  as  conceptual  disorganization,  delusions,  or  hallucinations)  or  negative  symptoms  (loss  of  function,  anhedonia,  decreased  emotional  expression,  impaired  concentration,  and  diminished  social  engagement)  and  must  have  at  least  two  of  these  for  a  1-month  period  and  continuous  signs  for  at  least  6  months  to  meet  formal  diagnostic  criteria.  Disorganized  thinking  or  speech  and  grossly  disorganized  motor  behavior,  including  catatonia,  may  also  be  present.  As  individuals  age,  positive  psychotic  symptoms  tend  to  attenuate,  and  some  measure  of  social  and  occupational  function  may  be  regained.  “Negative”  symptoms  predominate  in  one-third  of  the  schizophrenic  population  and  are  associated  with  a  poor  long-term  outcome  and  a  poor  response  to  drug  treatment.  However,  marked  variability  in  the  course  and  individual  character  of  symptoms  is  typical.