Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders > Introduction > Schizophrenia Sections: Associated laboratory findings., Associated physical examination findings and general medical conditions.. Topics Discussed: delusions; disorder of form of thought; disturbance in mood; hallucinations; schizophrenia. Excerpt: "The essential features of Schizophrenia are a mixture of characteristic signs and symptoms (both positive and negative) that have been present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or for a shorter time if successfully treated), with some signs of the disorder persisting for at least 6 months (Criteria A and C). These signs and symptoms are associated with marked social or occupational dysfunction (Criterion B). The disturbance is not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder or a Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition (Criteria D and E). In individuals with a previous diagnosis of Autistic Disorder (or another Pervasive Developmental Disorder), the additional diagnosis of Schizophrenia is warranted only if prominent delusions or hallucinations are present for at least a month (Criterion F). The characteristic symptoms of Schizophrenia involve a range of cognitive and emotional dysfunctions that include perception, inferential thinking, language and communication, behavioral monitoring, affect, fluency and productivity of thought and speech, hedonic capacity, volition and drive, and attention. No single symptom is pathognomonic of Schizophrenia; the diagnosis involves the recognition of a constellation of signs and symptoms associated with impaired occupational or social functioning.Characteristic symptoms (Criterion A) may be conceptualized as falling into two broad categories: positive and negative. The positive symptoms appear to reflect an excess or distortion of normal functions, whereas the negative symptoms appear to reflect a diminution or loss of normal functions. The positive symptoms (Criteria A1–A4) include distortions in thought content (delusions), perception (hallucinations), language and thought process (disorganized speech), and self-monitoring of behavior (grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior). These positive symptoms may comprise two distinct dimensions, which may in turn be related to different underlying neural mechanisms and clinical correlates. The "psychotic dimension" includes delusions and hallucinations, whereas the "disorganization dimension" includes disorganized speech and behavior. Negative symptoms (Criterion A5) include restrictions in the range and intensity of emotional expression (affective flattening), in the fluency and productivity of thought and speech (alogia), and in the initiation of goal-directed behavior (avolition)...." DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890423349.9038 The content above is only an excerpt. For full access subscribe now or log into your account below. You can also purchase 24- or 48-hour access; learn more Username: Password:   FORGOT your subscriber username and/or password? Get a reminder via email: The email I registered with is:  Not a subscriber? Subscribe Today PsychiatryOnline is a powerful website that features DSM-IV-TR® and The American Journal of Psychiatry as the cornerstones of an unsurpassed collection of psychiatric references, including books, journals, and self-assessment tools. PsychiatryOnline’s innovative platform makes these resources easy and convenient to use, offering Precise and powerful searching across books and journals. Quick pathways to related material. Mobile access from any computer with a Web connection. Ability to download any book section to PDA. Links from bibliographic references to the full text of journal articles. References to material not located in the PsychiatryOnline collection lead you to PubMed. Learn more about PsychiatryOnline Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing PsychiatryOnline@psych.org or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).