[The extent of the concept and the diagnostic criteria of psychopathy based on catamnestic data. I. The spectrum of psychopathic disorders. II. Organic pathology and psychopathy].

A study covering 277 psychopathic patients has been aimed at specifying the notion of psychopathy as well as the criteria of its diagnosis with the help of follow-up findings. Psychopathies are considered as a transient status of protracted adaptation due to retardation of the pubertal period. The study of "true" psychopathy has demonstrated that psychic disturbances are transitory and determined typologically by manifestations of neurosis or neurotic development. Persistent and prolonged psychopathy-like disturbances (n = 233) are referred to groups of other diseases.A total of 118 psychopathic patients have been subjected to a prolonged follow-up. The findings obtained have demonstrated a variety of organic cerebral diseases from traumatic encephalopathy to oligophrenia. The authors raise a question as to the validity of the generally accepted criteria of psychopathy in the framework of the so-called "organic psychopathy". A suggestion is put forward that abuse of the diagnosis of psychopathy in organic diseases of the central nervous system leads to the erroneous therapeutic strategy and corresponding social restrictions.