[New aspects in the diagnosis, pathogenesis and therapy of schizophrenic negative symptoms]

The treatment of negative symptoms requires a thorough diagnostic assessment. Their lack of homogeneity has important clinical implications. Negative symptoms are unspecific for schizophrenia, differ in cause and manifestation, and may appear at all stages of the illness. There is much evidence for the responsivity of negative symptoms to pharmacological and psychosocial treatment. This paper gives a short survey of the historical development of the concept of negative symptoms, the development of scales specifically measuring both negative and positive symptoms, and various recently discussed hypotheses concerning pathogenesis and treatment strategies. Important is a therapeutic concept individually adjusted to the patient's needs, including pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and social measures.