The conflict of the nosologists: views on schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness in the early part of the 20th century.

Full Abstract

The distinction between schizophrenia (dementia praecox) and bipolar disorder (manic-depressive insanity), proposed by Kraepelin in 1896, was the subject of vigorous debate in the first decades of this century. The debate addressed fundamental questions about the principles underlying the nosology of psychiatric disorders, and the issues raised remain as relevant today as at the time they were formulated. A meta-analysis of a sample of Kraepelin's primary data suggests that his original classification was consistent with the empirical evidence. However, heeding his critics, Kraepelin modified considerably his earlier views and proposed a conceptual model of the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and affective psychosis that is consonant with present-day ideas arising out of neuroscience and genetics. The lesson to be drawn is that nosological arguments should be put on hold until basic understanding is gained of the specific mechanisms of syndromogenesis across diagnostic boundaries.

Author information

Author/s: Jablensky, A (A);

Affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. assen(-atsign-)cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Biography; Historical Article; Journal Article

Journal: Schizophrenia research (Schizophr Res), published in NETHERLANDS. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1999-Sep; vol 39 (issue 2) : pp 95-100; discussion 159

Dates: Created 1999/12/23; Completed 1999/12/23; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 10507518, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.