Late-onset schizophrenia. Studying clinical validity.

The authors compared clinical characteristics of 36 late-onset schizophrenic patients from four centers (hospitals in San Diego, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Montreal). There was a preponderance of the paranoid type with bizarre delusions and auditory hallucinations, chronic course of illness, and response to relatively low doses of neuroleptics. A comparison of late-onset and younger schizophrenic patients revealed both similarities and differences between the two groups. The authors reviewed the relevant literature and discussed the implications for assessing the validity of the concept of late-onset schizophrenia. They believe that, although less common, late-onset schizophrenia is probably as valid an entity (or group of entities) as schizophrenia with onset before age 45.