Periodic Psychosis

a term used to denote any intermittent mental disorder. The concept of periodic psychoses emerged in the 1940’s and was developed primarily by Soviet psychiatrists, including G. E. Sukhareva, R. Ia. Golant, A. Z. Rozen-berg, and T. B. Nikonova. Associated with a hereditary predisposition, such psychoses are brought on by an external stimulus, such as overfatigue, infection, or mental or physical trauma. According to another viewpoint in present-day psychiatry, they are a variant form of schizophrenia or manic-depressive psychosis. The clinical picture is dominated by agitation, anxiety, and fear; clouding of consciousness and hallucinations are possible. Typically, there is an acute onset, followed by rapid recovery, usually two or three weeks after onset, sometimes only a few days after. Periodic psychoses respond well to treatment with psychotropic drugs. In the periods between attacks, patients are completely healthy mentally.