[Symptomatic alcoholism and remissions in schizophrenia in light of a 20-year catamnesis].

80 patients aged 14-60 years with progredient paranoid schizophrenia which began alcohol abuse after the first attack of the disease were observed. The peculiarities of both clinical manifestations and course of alcoholism and schizophrenia were analysed in age aspect. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to age: 14-20, 21-40 and 41-60 years. It was established that alcohol abuse in schizophrenia does not cause any further increase of alcoholic symptomatology and had not the phased development as in alcoholism, i.e. alcohol abuse does not cause typical alcoholic disease. Alcoholism, which is symptomatic in schizophrenic patients, can change, however, the clinical picture of psychosis. It can cause atypical and soft course of the disease or, on the contrary, development of decompensation in remission and increase of psychic defect.