Simple schizophrenia revisited: A clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging analysis of nine cases

Simple schizophrenia is widely considered to be a controversial or even dis credited entity, However, cases showing typical clinical features continue to be identified in surveys of schizophrenia patients, This article reports on nine patients who met proposed diagnostic criteria for simple schizophr enia. The patients all showed the classical features of social and occupati onal decline, as well as negative symptoms in the absence of clear-cut posi tive symptoms, A range of other symptoms, which were either nonspecific or fell short of psychotic phenomena, was also seen. Neuropsychological testin g revealed evidence of general intellectual impairment plus deficits in exe cutive function and memory. Computed tomography scans were normal or showed only minor abnormalities. All patients, however, showed abnormalities on s ingle photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), mainly affecting fro ntal and temporal regions. It is concluded that cases conforming to the ori ginal descriptions of simple schizophrenia continue to be seen and are stil l best understood as representing a form of schizophrenia.