Understanding psychosis: diagnosis and clinical presentation (updates for clinicians)

Psychosis is understood as the brightest manifestations of mental illness, in which the patient's mental activity does not correspond to the surrounding reality, the reflection of the real world in consciousness is sharply distorted, which manifests itself in behavioral disorders, abnormal pathological symptoms and syndromes. Psychosis is a combination of biological (genetic, neuroanatomical, neurophysiological), psychological and social factors in various proportions. Psychoses are classified according to their origin (etiology) and reasons (pathogenetic mechanisms of development) into endogenous (including endogenous psychoses include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, some psychotic forms of affective disorders), organic, somatogenic, psychogenic (reactive, situational), intoxication, withdrawal and post-withdrawal. Most often, psychoses develop in the framework of so-called endogenous disorder. The concepts of psychosis and schizophrenia are often equated, which is incorrect as psychotic disorders can occur in a number of mental illnesses: Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, chronic alcoholism, drug addiction, epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, etc. Other types of psychosis, such as infectious, somatic and intoxication psychoses are quite often find among patients in non-psychiatric practices. This review article is a good educational material for medical and psychological practitioners whose goal is to improve knowledge and diagnostic processes of psychosis and its related disorders.

MODERN SCIENTIFIC VIEWS ON THE CLINIC, SYSTEMATICS, DIAGNOSIS AND PATHOPERSONALOGY OF ENDOGENOUS PSYCHOSIS WITH EPISODIC COURSE (LITERATURE RIVIEW)

The aim of the study. To study the literature in order to identify modern scientific views on the clinic, systematics, diagnosis and pathopersonalogy of endogenous psychoses with episodic course. Results. The analysis of the literature shows that the diagnostic and classification approaches of endogenous psychoses with episodic course, are focused on polymorphic and variable symptoms of exacerbation of the disease. This leads to diagnostic mistakes, errors in the appointment of maintenance therapy, deterioration of compliance and further deepening of social maladaptation of patients. Refusal to develop the mechanisms of pathogenesis on the basis of the nosological approach will inevitably lead to a regression of the level of treatment and rehabilitation approaches - from ethiopathogenetic to symptomatic. Conclusions. Thus, at present, the importance of diagnostic techniques aimed at assessing and differentiating persistent symptoms of the disease in the period of remission of endogenous psychoses and relate to pathopersonalogical transformations. Research and correct diagnostic assessment of this multicomponent cluster of psychopathological symptoms allows to assess the nosological affiliation of a particular clinical case and to determine the necessary pharmacological and social rehabilitation effects in order to correct existing pathopersonalogical transformations and prevent exacerbation of endogenous psychosis.

Markers of systemic inflammation and systemic endotoxinemia in patients with acute endogenous psychoses

Актуальность: Современные исследования свидетельствуют о вовлеченности воспаления в патогенез эндогенных психических расстройств. Показано, что активность врождённого иммунитета (высокие показатели лейкоцитарной эластазы (ЛЭ) и а1-протеиназного ингибитора (а1-ПИ)), а также уровень аутоантител к нейроантигенам отражают остроту и тяжесть патологического процесса в мозге. В качестве одного из факторов, инициирующих системное воспаление, рассматривается патогенный формат системной эндотоксинемии (СЭЕ) - эндотоксиновая агрессия (ЭА), - патологический процесс, обусловленный избытком эндотоксина (ЭТ) в кровотоке. Цель: определение взаимосвязи между показателями системного воспаления и СЭЕ у больных с эндогенными психозами, необходимое для оценки роли ЭА в патогенезе изучаемой патологии. Материалы и методы: Обследовано 25 пациентов женского пола в возрасте от 23 до 49 лет (32,6 ± 8,9 лет) с эндогенными психозами (F20, F25 по МКБ-10). Все пациенты находились в остром психотическом состоянии. Психометрическая оценка проведена с помощью шкалы PANSS. Контрольная группа состояла из 25 психически и соматически здоровых женщин соответствующего возраста. В крови пациентов определяли активность воспалительных маркеров ЛЭ и а1-ПИ, а также уровень антител к нейроантигенам S100-B и ОБМ (технология «Нейро-иммуно-тест»), концентрацию эндотоксина (ЭТ) («Микро-ЛАЛ-тест») и активность антиэндотоксинового иммунитета (АЭИ) (технология «СОИС-ИФА»). Данные проанализированы с помощью непараметрических статистических методов (IBM SPSS Statistics 23). Результаты: В сыворотке крови пациентов выявлено статистически значимое повышение активности ЛЭ и а1-ПИ, а в 44% - наличие аутоиммунного компонента к нейроантигенам. У 24% больных на фоне существенного повышения активности маркеров воспаления наблюдалось повышение концентрации ЭТ, сопровождающееся недостаточностью АЭИ (преимущественно к гидрофильной части молекулы ЭТ), что является неблагоприятным фактором, усугубляющим клиническое течение заболевания. У 76% пациентов концентрация ЭТ оставалась в пределах нормативных значений и сопровождалась различным уровнем АЭИ, что, вероятно, может являться следствием ранее перенесённой ЭА. Выявлены корреляции между исследуемыми биологическими показателями, а также их связь с тяжестью клинической симптоматики по PANSS. Выводы: Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о взаимосвязи маркеров системного воспаления и показателей СЭЕ и их вовлеченности в патогенез эндогенных психозов. Background: Recent studies have suggested involvement of inflammation in the pathogenesis of endogenous mental disorders. The activity of innate immunity (increased activities of leukocyte elastase (LE) and a1-proteinase inhibitor (a1-PI)) and the level of autoantibodies to neuroantigens reflect severity of the pathological process in brain. The pathogenic form of systemic endotoxinemia (SE), that is, endotoxin aggression (EA), a pathological process caused by excessive endotoxin (ET) in the bloodstream, is considered as one of the factors initiating systemic inflammation. Objective: to determine the relationship between markers of systemic inflammation and indexes of systemic endotoxinemia in patients with endogenous psychoses to evaluate the role of EA in the pathogenesis of these disorders. Materials and methods: The study included 25 female patients aged 23 to 49 years with endogenous psychoses (F20, F25 according to ICD-10). All patients experienced exacerbation of psychotic symptoms. Psychometric evaluation was performed using the PANSS scale. The control group consisted of 25 healthy women. LE and a1-PI activities and levels of antibodies to S100-B and MBP (Neuro-Immuno-Test technology), endotoxin concentration (ET) (Micro-LAL-test), and antiendotoxin immunity activity (AIA) (SOIS-IFA technology) were measured in the patients’ blood. Results: The patients had significantly increased serum activities of LE and a1-PI. The autoimmune component to neuroantigens was detected in 44% of cases. In 24% of patients with significantly increased activities of inflammatory markers, ET concentrations were increased, and AIA (mainly to the hydrophilic part of the ET molecule) was deficient, which is an unfavorable factor that aggravates the clinical course of disease. In 76% of patients, the ET concentration remained within reference values; however, AIA levels were variable, which likely resulted from a previous EA. The studied biological indexes were shown to be correlated and linked to severity of clinical symptoms as determined with PANSS. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a relationship between systemic inflammatory markers and SE indexes and their involvement in the pathogenesis of endogenous psychoses.

Wernicke-Kleist-Leonhard phenotypes of endogenous psychoses: a review of their validity

While the ICD-DSM paradigm has been a major advance in clinical psychiatry, its usefulness for biological psychiatry is debated. By defining consensus-based disorders rather than empirically driven phenotypes, consensus classifications were not an implementation of the biomedical paradigm. In the field of endogenous psychoses, the Wernicke-Kleist-Leonhard (WKL) pathway has optimized the descriptions of 35 major phenotypes using common medical heuristics on lifelong diachronic observations. Regarding their construct validity, WKL phenotypes have good reliability and predictive and face validity. WKL phenotypes come with remarkable evidence for differential validity on age of onset, familiality, pregnancy complications, precipitating factors, and treatment response. Most impressive is the replicated separation of high- and low-familiality phenotypes. Created in the purest tradition of the biomedical paradigm, the WKL phenotypes deserve to be contrasted as credible alternatives with other approaches currently under discussion.

Characteristics of personality in patients with endogenous psychoses with an episodicаl course in the context of post-manifest pathopersonаlogical transformations (comparative analysis)

Solution of the problems of differential diagnosis, treatment and social rehabilitation of patients with endogenous psychoses with episodic course is one of the most complex and urgent problems of clinical psychiatry, which is caused by polymorphism and variability of symptoms, decrease or loss of critical attitude toward the disease, with grave social and economic consequences. The aim of the study is to establish, on the basis of the results of the comparative analysis of the characteristics of the personal profile, the features and nosospecific differences of post-manifest pathopersonаlogical transformations in patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and affective disorders in remission / intermissions. The study examined the personality characteristics of endogenous psychoses with an episodic course in remission / intermission conditions and established signs and nosospecific differences in post-manifest pathological transformations in patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and affective disorders. Existing pathopersonalogical transformations are characterized by signs of multidirectional tendencies of compensatory tension of personal resources, which is confirmed by the presence of several moderately elevated (65-75 T-points) indicators of individual scales and a simultaneous increase in indicators of both hyposthenic (2nd and 7th scales) and hypersthenic ( 4th and 9th scales) registers. In schizoaffective disorder, such scales are the 2nd (65.36±12.28 T-points), 4th (73.23±11.83 T-points), 8th (68.40±12.33 T-points) and 9th (66.05±12.02 T-points); in affective disorders, these are the 2nd, 4th and 8th scales (67.72±13.96, 67.08±9.53 and 65.90±10.08 T-points, respectively); for schizophrenia, such scales are the 2nd (72.37 ± 16.80 T-points), 4th (69.47±12.48 T-points), 7th (66.59±15.69 T-points) ) and 8th (71.73±19.95 T-points). The obtained data can be used as a component of the differential diagnosis system and personified psychotherapeutic support.

TYPOLOGY OF PATHOPERSONOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER

The issue of diagnostics, treatment and social rehabilitation of patients with endogenous psychoses with episodic course remains one of the most urgent problems of psychiatry, which, despite the considerable advances of science and practice, has not found a definitive solution. Significant difficulties of nosological separation in the group of endogenous psychoses with episodic course and evaluation of the pathopersonological aspect of the clinic are related to schizoaffective disorder. The aim of the study was to establish a typology of pathopersonological transformations in patients with schizoaffective disorder based on the analysis of clinical-psychopathological, medical-psychological, clinical-ethological characteristics of remission. On the basis of “Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital” (Zaporizhzhіa) 102 persons with the established diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder were examined. The main methods of the study were clinical psycho-pathological, psychodiagnostic, patho-psychological, clinical-anamnestic, clinical-medical, social-medical and statistical analysis. As a result of the conducted research, on the basis of the analysis of clinical-psychopathological, medical-psychological, clinical-ethological characteristics of remission, the typology of pathopersonological transformations was established. The presence and prevalence of 4 main types of pathopersonological transformations in schizoaffective disorder (“affective-labile” (20.1 % of the contingent), “paranoid-dysthymic” (17.3 %), “hysteroid-agonistic” (25.9 %), “Neurocognitive-deficient” (16.9 %) and “mixed” (19.8 % of the contingent)), which differ in clinical-anamnestic, clinical-psychopathological, medical-psychological, neuropsychological and clinical-ethological characteristics and cause social (labor and family) maladjustment of varying degrees. The clinical-anamnestic, clinical-psychopathological, medical-psychological, neuropsychological and clinical-ethological features identified in the study can be used to determine the type of pathopersonological transformations and its severity in patients with schizoaffective disorder and, accordingly, quantitative characteristics of individually needed psychopharmacological, psychotherapeutic and social rehabilitation activities and evaluation of their effectiveness in dynamics.

Clinical-psychopathological and medical-social characteristics of patients with endogenous psychoses with an episodic course in the context of post-manifestation pathopersonological transformations

The determination of the nosological affi liation of a separate clinical case in the group of endogenous psychoses is a decisive factor in adequate psychopharmacotherapy. The clinical aspects of post-manifestation pathopersonological transformations of endo genous psychosis with an episodic course remain the least studied and require study to improve the quality of diff erential diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of personal characteristics, types of attitude toward the disease and adaptability of patients with schizophrenia and schizoaff ective disorder. On the basis of the Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine), 312 patients were examined, among them 102 patients with aff ective disorders; 102 patients suffering from schizoaffective disorder and 108 patients diagnosed with schizo phrenia, paranoid form, episodic course. The main research methods were clinical-psychopathological, clinical-follow-up, clinical-anamnestic and medical-social, as well as medicalstatistical analysis. The study revealed signs and nosospecific diff erences in indicators of social (labor and family) maladjustment, as well as positive, negative and general psychopathological disorders (according to PANSS) in endogenous psychoses with an episodic course, confi rming the presence of post-manifestation pathopersonological transformations. In the group of endogenous psychosis with an episodic course, pathopersonological transformations in schizoaff ective disorder are characterized by the most complex structure and are a nosospecific marker. Further studies of remission/intermission in endo genous psychosis open up the possibility of developing a differential diagnostic system and algorithms for providing personalized medical and rehabilitation care. Keywords: schizoaffective disorder, affective disorders, schizophrenia, clinic, social maladjustment, differential diagnosis, pathopersonological transformations