[Empirical and bibliographical reflexions on the AMDP somatic scale (author's transl)]

The author complemented the AMDP-4 scale by some somatic items from the Liege psychiatric record, the code of Devroye, Pinchard and Timsit. He compares the frequency of the symptoms of the AMDP scale and the DPT code in 63 patients before treatment and their sensitivity to change after psychotropics in 49 patients. On the 27 DPT items added to the AMDP, 20 appear to be frequent and 6 are sensitive to therapeutic change. Two other modifications from the original AMDP scale are reported: the grouping of symptoms by system, and a standard interview aimed at limiting positive answers in relation to the interview. The author considers that the AMDP scale so modified is superior to other classical somatic scales, but deplores that functional symptoms are confused with psychopathological symptoms, neurological symptoms, toxic signs, general examination signs and even laboratory tests in the original scale.