Science Today


Hebephrenic Schizophrenia is defined by the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, World Health Organization, Geneva, 1992, thus:

A form of schizophrenia in which affective changes are prominent, delusions and hallucinations fleeting and fragmentary, behaviour irresponsible and unpredictable, and mannerisms common. The mood is shallow and inappropirate and often accompanied by giggling or self-satisfied, self-absorbed smiling, or by a lofty manner, grimaces, mannerisms, pranks, hypochondriacal complaints, and reiterated phrases. Thought is disorganized and speech rambling and incoherent. There is a tendency to remain solitary, and behaviour seems empty of purpose and feeling.

3 comments:

sourplum said...

Yes I've noticed that Gordon has started smiling a bit more. But his makeover adviser obviously forgot to tell him to smile when appropriate rather than at random intervals.
It's scary when he announces another death in Afghanistan.. smiles... announces he was serious about the expenses scandal..wee smirk.. etc..

Jim Baxter said...

A sound diagnosis Dr Weasel. If I may suggest, we may nonetheless consider a dual diagnosis in this most regrettable case, to wit, co-morbidity with Asperger's Syndrome, espcially:

The lack of empathy, difficulties in basic elements of social interaction, which may include a failure to develop friendships or to seek shared enjoyments or achievements with others (for example, showing others objects of interest), a lack of social or emotional reciprocity, and impaired nonverbal behaviours in areas such as eye contact, facial expression, posture, and gesture.

Engaging in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic while misunderstanding or not recognizing the listener's feelings or reactions, such as need for privacy, haste to leave, or urgent desire for a General Election.

This social awkwardness has been called "active but odd" and merely "repulsive" by voters. This failure to react appropriately to social interaction may appear as disregard for other people's feelings or financial security and may come across as insensitive or even criminally reckless.

Pursuit of specific and narrow areas of interest is one of the most striking features of AS. Individuals with AS may collect volumes of detailed information on a relatively narrow topic such as dinosaurs, deep fat fryers, or tractor output statistics, without necessarily having genuine understanding of the broader topic (e.g. the economy, and the fact that they have zero credibility).

Although these special interests may change from time to time, they typically become more unusual and narrowly focused, and often dominate social interaction so much that the entire country may become transfixed in an appalled, get me the fuck out of here, kind of a way.

Other symptoms include stereotyped and repetitive motor behaviours including hand movements such as feeling the edges of one's papers on a lectern or dispatch box repetitively, jaw dropping, and tetanic spasms. These are typically repeated in longer bursts and look more voluntary or ritualistic than tics.

(Specially adapted for The Weasel Clinic Guide Diagnostic and Statistical Manual from the Wiki-P entry on AS).

Spartan said...

l now feel depressed ... l now have the imsge of atleast 2 Gordon Browns :-(