[Headache as initial symptom of schizophrenic disease]

Initial schizophrenia was observed in 15 out of 93 out-patients being treated for cephalea in a Regional Neuropsychiatrical Department. Certain abnormal phenomena in the field of consciousness and body sensations are typical of coenasthetic schizophrenia, with vital asthenia and vegetative symptoms. Cephaleas and head dysaesthesias are reported. There is no doubt that coenaesthetic schizophrenia has many points in common with latent schizophrenia; on the other hand it is also closely linked to hypochondriac depression, the syndrome of endogenous juvenile failure, certain latent depressions, hypochondriac euphoria, vegetative and endoreactive dysthmia and pseudoneurotic schizophrenia. Personal studies of stress responses in schizophrenia, and pneumoencephalographic examinations and EEG data in the active stage suggest diencephalic alteration. For diagnostic and initially therapeutic purposes, every patient with cephalea should be examined thoroughly by the psychiatrist; in this way the number of schizophrenias identified and treated will be considerably increased.