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schizophrenia
(skit″so-freŽne-ә)
any of a large group of mental disorders that are characterized by mental deterioration from a previous level of functioning and have characteristic disturbances
of multiple psychological processes, such as delusions, loosening of associations, poverty of the content of speech, auditory hallucinations, inappropriate affect, disturbed sense of self, and withdrawal from the external world. adj., schizophrenŽic., adj.
Current nomenclature classifies schizophrenia into five types: Disorganized (hebephrenic) schizophrenia is characterized by disorganized, incoherent thinking; shallow, inappropriate, even silly affect; and regressive behavior
without systematized delusions. Catatonic schizophrenia is
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