CATAPHASIA - A FORM OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PSYC HOSIS CHARACTERIZED BY DISORDER OF FORMAL THOUGHT AND SPEECH

Cataphasia, one form of Leonhard's unsystematic schizophrenias, shows a polymorphous, but nevertheless specific symptomatology. The key feat ures of the psychopathology of this condition are formal thought and s peech disorders. Hallucinations and delusional ideas can be present, b ut they are incidental and do not determine the syndrome. The characte ristic elements of this thought disorder are logical derailment, paral ogic thinking and, especially in the excited form, incoherence with co ntaminations up to ''word salad''. The speech shows strange verbalizat ions, paragrammatisms, agrammatisms, and occasionally neologisms. The course mostly fluctuates with acute attacks and incomplete remissions, leading to residual states of varying degrees of severity determined by a flattened and somewhat euphoric affect. Usually the disorder appe ars in an excited or inhibited form. In the latter case, thought disor der is difficult to recognize. Sometimes it can only be stated by the facial expression, which reveals an internal emptiness and dullness, a nd a tendency to stare fixedly at the examiner. Psychopharmacotherapy can diminish accompanying delusional ideas or hallucinations, but does not have much influences on the core syndrome of formal thought and s peech disorder.