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Delusional (paranoid) disorders: etiologic and taxonomic considerations. II. A possible relationship between delusional and affective disorders.

Paranoid (delusional) disorders are usually thought to overlap with schizophrenic disorders, and there may be a continuum, especially with paranoid schizophrenia. There is also some recent evidence of an overlap with affective disorders. This article refers to the author's series of monodelusional disorders, emphasizing certain mood concomitants, and discussing the implications of these for delusional disorders in general.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗

Delusional (paranoid) disorders: etiologic and taxonomic considerations. I. The possible significance of organic brain factors in etiology of delusional disorders.

The term "Paranoid Disorders" is used vaguely and indiscriminately by many authors. This article provides brief working descriptions of a small number of paranoid/delusional conditions and, making reference to the author's series of monodelusional disorders, describes certain organic brain factors which appear to be surprisingly common in the background of these cases. It is hypothesized that the group of paranoid/delusional disorders may be linked to schizophrenia, especially of the paranoid type: however, in the paranoid/delusional disorders, hereditary schizophrenic factors may be weak and adverse organic brain factors relatively much stronger.

Delusions↗

Paranoid disorders in the elderly.

Paranoid disorders in the elderly are relatively common and represent a variety of diagnostic categories. Appropriate treatment depends on careful diagnostic assessment. Therapy of concomitant medical disorders, psychiatric medications, and psychotherapy all play a role in the management of these patients.

Aged↗

The classification of paranoid disorders in the elderly: a clinical problem.

Data on the incidence of Paranoid Disorders according to modified DSM-III criteria in an outpatient geriatric clinic are presented. Results are consistent with previous research data which find paranoid symptomatology to be common in elderly psychiatric patients. The current definition of paranoid disorders is too narrow to encompass those elderly with good premorbid adjustment whose later life paranoid disorders often include hallucinations. The DSM-III paranoid subtype system does not have a separate category for chronic paranoid symptomatology which, although commonly seen in the old, is now subsumed under an atypical paranoid disorder classification. Further research into late life psychopathology may provide refinement of other diagnostic categories and a better understanding of the developmental relationship between personality disorder and major psychopathology.

Aged↗

Involutional paranoid disorder: a forgotten syndrome.

Involutional paranoid disorder is seen frequently in medical and psychiatric inpatient units, geriatric units, and other medical settings in which persons in the climacteric age group are treated. Little information is provided in the recent literature to guide the practitioner in diagnosing and treating this disorder. The authors review the clinical features of involutional paranoia and present three case reports to illustrate the characteristic symptoms. Diagnostic and treatment considerations are also reviewed.

Aged↗

A case of paranoid disorder associated with hyperthyroidism.

This paper describes a patient presenting with paranoid symptoms who eventually was diagnosed as having Graves' disease. In this patient, paranoid disorder appeared to occur concurrently with hyperthyroidism in a clear state of consciousness. This case underscores the need to maintain a high index of suspicion of possible medical conditions in psychiatric patients. This is especially the case in the presence of unexplained symptoms and when there is a difficulty communicating with the patient. The importance of carrying out a careful physical examination on admission to a psychiatric unit is emphasized. Another indication for further medical investigation in a patient with psychiatric symptoms is the absence of a psychological explanation for a worsening of the psychiatric symptoms.

Adult↗

Delusional (paranoid) disorders.

The group of paranoid or delusional disorders, although not nearly as common as the mood and schizophrenic disorders, may be much more frequent than has usually been thought. DSM-IIIR has made a decisive step in recognizably defining at least one group of them. Interestingly, this change partly came about because the advent of an effective treatment helped to define that group more clearly. Nevertheless, DSM-IIIR's classification is too restrictive, and it was wrong to exclude the diagnosis of paraphrenia. Cases fitting this description will have to be consigned to the category of Psychotic Disorder NOS, which will inevitably be a grab-bag of mixed diagnoses. Also, DSM-IIIR does not emphasize the link between the delusional disorders and paranoid schizophrenia, and the somewhat less well defined overlap with affective disorders, both of which give rise to much diagnostic confusion and inappropriate treatment. Precise history taking and mental status examination and, above all, an up-to-date knowledge of their existence are essential to the recognition and appropriate treatment of the delusional disorders.

Delusions↗

Prognosis in paranoid disorders and mortality in reactive psychoses.

The present paper shows that the short-term prognosis of patients with paranoid disorders hospitalized nowadays is poor for the majority. The best prognosis is attached to patients with affective or other not specified psychotic disorders. Socio-vocational variables at the time of first admission contain more predictive value than clinical variables. The term reactive psychosis as a term with good prognosis is questioned and the findings of a mortality study are presented in support of this view when concerned with hospital populations.

Adolescent↗

Paranoid disorder--environmental, cultural or constitutional phenomenon?

At a London hospital the prevalence and types of recorded paranoid disorders, and their characteristics were extracted from the files of in-patients of various cultural groups. It was found that West Indians and Africans had more paranoid colouring in their psychiatric illness than any other group. Other immigrant groups had less paranoid features than the English group. The self or a family member was the commonest focus of intended harm in all the cultural groups. Supernatural modes of injury were common in the West Indians and Africans. It is argued that in immigrants paranoid disorder is not merely due to discrimination consequent on their migrant status, but that cultural factors inherent in the immigrants are also of etiological importance.

Body Constitution↗

Acute paranoid disorder and Klinefelter's syndrome.

A twenty-five-year old man presented with an acute paranoid disorder, and was subsequently diagnosed as having Klinefelter's Syndrome. Our review of previous reports suggests that the literature pointing out a particular association between Klinefelter's and schizophrenia may be misleading. In fact, Klinefelter's patients are liable to suffer from schizophrenia, paranoid disorders, or possibly other disorders.

Acute Disease↗

Course and outcome in paranoid disorders.

All consecutively admitted patients suffering from paranoid psychoses and admitted to the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oslo, during two defined periods (1946-1948 and 1958-1961) have been personally followed up by the author after 5-18 years and by Stein Opjordsmoen after 22-39 years. After the first follow-up period 65% were without psychotic symptoms, after the last period 44%. According to Scandinavian diagnostic tradition, there is a gradual shift from very good clinical and social outcome for patients with reactive psychoses to very poor outcome for schizophrenics, patients with schizophreniform psychoses being in between. According to the DSM-III system, patients with affective and schizoaffective psychoses score best, followed by those with paranoid and schizophreniform disorders. Those with schizophrenia score worst. Course and outcome are primarily dependent on the diagnostic category, not the type of delusion. Of the patients with Kraepelin's paranoia, about one-third were without psychotic symptoms at last follow-up.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗

Treatment of schizophrenic disorder, paranoid type, with intramuscular recombinant alpha-2b interferon.

Twenty patients meeting DSM-III criteria for Schizophrenic Disorder, Paranoid Type were studied. After a 30 day drug-free period the patients were randomized in two groups. During a year, patients in Group 1 received intramuscular injections of a placebo while Group 2 received recombinant IFN alpha-2b. Both groups took anti-psychotic medication (APM) as needed on an individual basis, depending on their psychiatric symptomatology. Double blind evaluations, were performed at the beginning and at the end of the trial, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Reyes Scale for Social Evolution (RSSE). Information about relapses was gathered such as months without relapse, number and duration of the relapses and maximum dosages of APM given for relapse control. The statistical analysis of the results was performed with a matched pairs sign or Student's t tests for comparisons of each group before and after treatment. Groups were compared between them using the Fisher's exact test for frequencies and Student's t test for continuous variables. In Group 1: only one patient improved on the BPRS score; two had improved ratings on the RSSE; 2 patients got worse; and there were no changes in the rest of the group; three patients had no relapses and one increased in relapse frequency. These changes were not significant. The rate of relapses per year and their duration were not significantly modified in Group 1. The maximum dose of APM required for their relapse control was larger than before treatment although not significantly. All these patients required continuous APM. In Group 2 (IFN treated): 6 patients had improved BPRS scores (N = 6, K = 6, p < 0.01) and 5 improved their RSSE scores (n = 5, K = 5, p < 0.05). In 5 patients there were no relapses on their frequency decreased. There was significant reduction in the duration of the relapses (37.8 +/- 14.6 to 20.7 +/- 12.5 days; t = 4.83; d.f. = 9; p = 0.0009) after treatment. Only 3 patients in Group 2 needed continuous APM after a relapse and the maximum dose required for control was significantly less (1281 +/- 527 to 687 +/- 552 chlorpromazine-equivalent mg. per day; t = 5.56, p < 0.001). Comparisons between groups showed advantage for the IFN treated group in the BPRS change, proportion of patients needing continuous APM and integral evaluation. These results indicate that alpha IFN may be useful in the treatment of Schizophrenic Disorder, Paranoid Type.

Adult↗

Fear and anger in delusional (paranoid) disorder: the association with violence.

We report a series of 15 patients with delusional (paranoid) disorder as defined in DSM-III-R. All were supervised by a forensic psychiatry service after violent or threatening acts. We hypothesised that delusions and actions in these patients would be congruent with an abnormal mood characterised by fear and anger. Informants and the patients indicated a pervasive and persistent abnormality of mood (fear and defensive anger), with delusions and actions that were congruent with this mood during the offence and for over a month before. Other behaviours, such as fleeing or barricading to avoid delusional persecutors, were also consistent with congruence of mood and delusions. In all cases, violent acts and mood were congruent, but in three cases the violent act was unrelated to delusions. Although a study such as this does not demonstrate that the mood abnormality is primary, we believe moods of fear and anger in delusional disorder are not sufficiently recognised as part of the disorder.

Adolescent↗

Paranoid disorder: the Soviet viewpoint.

The Russian-language psychiatric literature on the paranoid disorders was reviewed for a recent 10-year period. The authors were from a variety of facilities and geographic locations. Bibliography references were primarily European, although 41% of the articles included references to American publications. The paranoid patient population was similar to that in the United States. There was extensive longitudinal study of the disorders; epidemiologic investigations, diagnostic classification, pharmacotherapy, treatment outcome, and etiologic theories allowed comparison with these issues in the United States.

Adult↗

Late-onset paranoid disorder.

While the onset of paranoid states in the geriatric population has received some attention, recent research results on such proposed etiological factors as sensory impairments, cognitive decline, and pre-existing schizophrenia-spectrum pathologies remain equivocal. The authors present an alternative hypothesis positioning the interaction of pre-existing narcissistic personality features with unique aspects of the aging process. Case studies and innovative treatment strategies are discussed.

Aged↗

Are there delusions specific for paranoid disorders vs. schizophrenia?

DSM-III proposes that only persecutory delusions and delusions of jealousy can occur in paranoid disorders, all other types of delusions in the absence of an affective syndrome being indicative of schizophrenia. The scant empirical evidence relevant to this issue suggests that the type of delusion on admission is not predictive of outcome in patients with paranoid psychosis. These findings raise questions about the validity of the distinction drawn in DSM-III between types of delusions.

Delusions↗

Shared paranoid disorder preceded by cannabis abuse: case report.

A case is presented of a socially isolated married couple who developed a shared paranoid disorder preceded by their cannabis abuse with the wife initiating the delusions. After the couple were separated the wife feared that she would be killed and assaulted her child and mother. Delusions in the pair ceased quickly and a return to cohabitation did not result in relapse in the absence of cannabis abuse.

Adult↗