[Schizophrenia models: a review of the hypothetical pathologic processes underlying phenomenological manifestations]

Since Kraepelin and Bleuler consolidated the concepts of dementia preacox and schizophrenia almost a century ago, the heterogeneity of the disorder has been recognized as a problem. Since the germinal contribution of Crow, two different processes underlying positive and negative symptoms have been intensively studied. However, there are data that suggest the existence of four underlaying pathological processes to schizophrenic phenomenology: positive, negative, disorganisation and relational, the former three processes being of physiopathological nature and the disorders of relating having a psychological character. Other symptomatological dimensions such as subjective cognitive disorders and catatonic phenomena deserve further research.