[Asthenic disorders in schizophrenia (schizoasthenia) on the model of hypochondriac schizophrenia].

OBJECTIVE

To determine the structure and mechanisms of interaction of asthenic disorders with negative and positive psychopathological symptoms in hypochondriac schizophrenia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included male and female patients, aged 17-69 years, with a diagnosis of hypochondriac schizophrenia (F20.80 according to ICD-10) and asthenia symptoms. The main research method was clinical, which was supplemented by pathopsychological examination and the use of psychometric scales (PANSS, SANS, MFI-20,VAS asthenia).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Asthenia in case of hypochondriac schizophrenia (schizoasthenia) integrates two unrelated phenomena: «weakness» and «exhaustion» (intolerance to stress), and also acts within the framework of three psychopathological syndromes: neurotic, senestopathic/hypochondriac and overvalued hypochondria. Asthenia with hypochondriac schizophrenia is a predictor of an unfavorable social and clinical prognosis. Integrating into the structure of the clinical manifestations of hypochondriac schizophrenia, asthenia forms close relationships with positive and negative disorders of the type of «general syndromes», but remains outside the categories of both positive and negative symptoms of the disease, thus forming a separate «dimension» in the psychopathological space of schizophrenia.