[Trial of pathopsychophysiological analysis of delusional ideas in manic-depressive psychosis]

The author tries to explain patho-psychophysiocally some aspects of delusion formation in maniac-depressive psychosis (M.D.P.). It is well known that delusional ideas are profoundly linked with affectivity. Emotions and affects exert a strong influence on thinking, inhibiting or facilitating the corresponding associative pathways. On the other hand emotions are reciprocally counter acting to each other (e.g. joy-sorrow, fear-anger, etc.). As a psychophysiological basis of the main negative and positive emotions and affects the author accepts the existence of one affective-behavioural system (A.B.S.), composed of a number of functionally conjugated subsystems. Between the subsystems exist relations of reciprocal induction: the excitation of one subsystem provokes inhibition in others and vice versa. This reciprocal induction inhibits or facilitates the corresponding associative pathways. In endogenous psychosis one observes an order in the morbid inhibition of the subsystems of A.B.S. An attempt is made to analyse the relations in M.D.P. as one aspect of delusion formation. It is pointed out that the inhibition of some subsystems of A.B.S. deprives thinking of the corresponding arguments and brings about the loss of control of the reciprocal subsystems. The morbid positive induction of these subsystems stimulates delusion formation.