[Premorbid characteristics and nature of the mental disorders in patients with neurocirculatory dystonia and heart rhythm disorders (clinico-psychological research)].

Forty-two patients with different types of functional cardiac arrhythmias were examined. Clinico-psychological examination revealed such general and relatively independent of the personality type features as conservatism, predisposition to anxiety reactions, hypochondriac readiness, symptomatic lability, poor self confidence in relation to interpersonal interrelations, poorly expressed ability to dominate with a tendency toward submission. Neurotic reactions and phases were a predominant feature in accentuated (n = 20) and psychopathic persons (n = 10). Slowly progressive schizophrenia and cyclothymia were diagnosed in 8 and 4 cases respectively. Treatment of functional cardiac arrhythmias with lexotan yielded good response in 50% of cases. In cases when lexotan alone failed to be effective, the use of this drug in combination with antiarrhythmic drugs effected good results in 61.8% of the patients.