Is the concept of 'schizo-affective psychoses' prognostically of value?

Abstract

The concept of 'schizo-affective psychoses' covers favourable as well as unfavourable forms of endogenous psychoses. Thus, it does not help us for a nosological classification which must also allow for the prognosis. In order to make a prognostic distinction we have to subdivide the schizo-affective psychoses into the 'cycloid psychoses' and the 'non-systematic schizophrenias'. Also the latter display affective symptoms and can take a bipolar course, but, despite this, tend to deterioration; they do so increasingly shift after shift, whereas the cycloid psychoses completely recover after every phase. Even during the first phase or shift a reliable differential diagnosis can be made. This has been confirmed by follow-up examinations, as the cycloid psychotics, in fact, had recovered. Only very few misdiagnoses could be detected. If we want to classify prognostically, we must separate the cycloid psychoses from the true schizophrenias.