[Symptomatic psychoses]

Acute exogenous reactive types (AERT), exogenous, somatogenic, organic and symptomatic psychoses have essentially identical or very similar symptoms. The terms can thus be used promiscue. The concept of symptomatic psychosis is according to the common convention superior to other psychoses it appears, however to be superfluous. It must involve direct or indirect brain damage. It seems therefore more useful to use for AERT the term organic psychosis. There is no reason why to derive all forms of AERT from impaired consciousness, as lucid consciousness being a global psychic function makes their diagnosis possible and episodic interpolated qualitative disorders of consciousness could not occur. The organic psychosyndrome is characterized by a reduction of psychic functions, the majority with an irreversible course. In case of a marked lesion of certain brain structures the topical characteristics may be reflected in psychic symptoms, more frequently, however, the premorbid structure of the personality and its compensating mechanisms play a part. Therefore it is justified to separate the local psychosyndrome which from the external aspect is identical with psychoendocrine psychosyndrome. For the diagnosis of symptomatic psychic disorders K. Schneider's and Weitbrechts preprequisites are essential. AERT may end by cure, death or development into organic psychosyndrome.