[The influence of psycho-organic impairment in old age on the course of so-called late schizophrenia].

Empirical findings are reported concerning the relationship between psycho-organic deterioration in old age and the course and clinical symptoms (delusions, presenting symptoms) of the so-called late schizophrenias. The probands were reexamined in their senium decades after the onset of the illness. A significant relationship was found between severe psychoorganic detorioration occurring in old age and a chronic course of the psychoses, generally and particularly in the seniun, and between severe psychoorganic deterioration and the occurence of schizophrenic thought-disorder as the main symptom. Absent or slight psychoorganic deterioration in old age was found significantly co-related to manicdepressive systhymia as the main symptom. Further development of delucions appears to be independent of the degree of psychoorganic deterioration in old age.