[Clinical course of recurrent schizophrenia]

As many as 79 patients suffering from many-attack schizophrenia going with short-term remissions were examined. Four major variants of the disease dynamics were distinguished with regard to the disease stereotype. The first variant was characterized by the retention of liability to relapsing and occurrence of acute attacks throughout the whole disease period, the second one by deceleration and amelioration of the attacks, the third one by the loss of tendencies towards attack occurrence and formation of long remissions, and the fourth variety by transition to the chronic psychotic state. The clinico-dynamic features of the indicated varieties are described. The prognostic criteria for the disease outcome are defined.