About the French origins of dissociation based on the studies of Francois Leuret.

In 1834, F. Leuret made an essential contribution to the psychopathology of psychosis. He defined two clear-cut clinical conditions. The first he name d "incoherents"; here we find a radical breakdown in the production of mean ing ascribed by Leuret to a lack of force in associations. We also find cle ar descriptions of neologisms as if Leuret had intuitively grasped the idea that certain psychotic patients experience themselves as masters of langua ge masters that is not subjected to... Today we would perhaps refer to the incoherents as paranoid or poorly structured delusions. The "arrangers" pro duce clear and organised delusional systems without neologisms, barrages, f ading or dissociation. The authors conclude by arguing that the concept of dissociation should only be used in cases of psychotic suffering when the l ack of an 'I' can clearly be demonstrated. It should not be used to refer t o hysterical delusions. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevi er SAS.