[Chronic hypomania as a stage of acquired cyclothymia]

The authors examined 28 patients with chronic hypomanic states that form within the bounds of acquired cyclothymia after a schizophrenic psychosis. Two types of the chronic hypomanias were differentiated. The first was hyperthymia, a residual pseudopsychotic state characterized with a combination of cycloid and schizoid features with an invariably elated mood. The patients were energetic, purposeful, indefatigable, and industrious at work. No signs of disease progress were observed for a long time. The second type was subpsychotic hypomania associated with a slow, but still continuing progress of the disease. The elated mood was combined with marked signs of the defect (emotional and intellectual impoverishment, psychopathy-like changes) and still persisting positive symptoms. The activity and ability to adapt themselves enabled these patients to remain sufficiently compensated socially at the new, lower level of the adaptation. Later the psychopathological disorders got deeper, and their scope increased.