Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept

Barbara Castro Sousa; Zoe Correia de Sá; Joana Ramos

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11

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Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept

Barbara Castro Sousa^*

, Zoe Correia de Sá, Joana Ramos

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 13, Issue 6)

Received: 28 August 2024 Accepted: 12 September 2024 Published: 26 November 2024

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Abstract

Schizophrenia, like many mental disorders, was historically viewed as madness or demonic possession until the 18th century when psychiatry began to emerge as a scientific discipline. French psychiatrist Bénédict Morel played a pivotal role in this transformation by coining the term "démence précoce." He used this term to describe a set of clinical features observed in schizophrenia, suggesting that it was due to an inherent biological defect that progressively worsened through successive generations. German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin further refined Morel's ideas by developing the concept of "dementia praecox". He described a cluster of symptoms and signs characterized by a specific course and outcome, emphasizing the chronic and deteriorative nature of the illness. Kraepelin's work laid the groundwork for modern understanding, emphasizing the classification of psychiatric conditions based on symptom clusters, progression, and outcomes. In the early 20th century, Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler introduced the term "schizophrenia", marking a significant shift in the conceptualization of the disorder. He viewed it not as a single disease but as a group of related disorders, which he called the "group of schizophrenias." Bleuler focused on the splitting of cognitive functions—such as thinking, feeling, and behavior—recognizing a broader spectrum of symptoms beyond the purely degenerative model proposed by Kraepelin. The evolution of schizophrenia's conceptualization reflects broader developments in neuropsychiatry, neuropsychopharmacology, and neuroscience. Advances in these fields have refined diagnostic criteria, understanding of neurobiological underpinnings, and treatment approaches. However, the journey to fully understanding schizophrenia is ongoing. The complexities of its causes, manifestations, and treatments mean that its history—and the final chapter of its understanding—remains to be written, as new research continues to challenge and expand upon existing knowledge.

Published in	American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 13, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11
Page(s)	98-103
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Démence Précoce, Schizophrenia, Psychopathology

References

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[2]	Ban, T. A. (2004). Neuropsychopharmacology and the genetics of schizophrenia: a history of the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Program of Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 28(5): 753-62.
[3]	Berner, P. (2002). Conceptualization of vulnerability models for schizophrenia: historical aspects. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 114(8): 938-42.
[4]	Casanova, M. F.; Stevens, J. R.; Brown, R.; Royston, C.; Bruton, C. (2002). Disentangling the pathology of schizophrenia and paraphrenia. Acta Neuropathologica, 103(4): 313-20.
[5]	Decker, H. S. (2004). The psychiatric works of Emil Kraepelin: a many-faceted story of modern medicine. Journal of History and Neuroscience, 13(3): 248-76.
[6]	Ebers, G. (2019). The Egyptian Ebers Papyrus: A Medical Document of the Time of the Pharaohs. Translated by Cyril P. Bryan, Dover Publications.
[7]	German, E.; Berrios, R. L.; José, M. V. (2003). Schizophrenia: A Conceptual History. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Theory, 3(2): 111-40.
[8]	Higgins, E. S.; Kose, S. (2007). Absence of schizophrenia in a 15th-century Islamic medical textbook. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(7): 1120-27.
[9]	Hoff, P. (2008). Kraepelin and degeneration theory. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 258(2): 12-7.
[10]	Jansson, L. B.; Parnas J. (2007). Competing definitions of schizophrenia: Polydiagnostic studies? Schizophrenia Bulletin, 33: 1178-200.
[11]	Kaplan, R. M. (2008). Being Bleuler: the second century of schizophrenia. Australian Psychiatry, 16(5): 305-11.
[12]	Ortuno, F.; Bonelli, R. M. (2000). Relevance of Schneider's first-rank symptoms. British Journal of Psychiatry, 177: 85.
[13]	Palha, A. P.; Esteves, M. F. (1997). The origin of dementia praecox. Schizophrenia Resistent, 19; 28(2-3): 99-103.
[14]	Pereira, M. E. C. (2008). Morel and the question of degeneration. Revista Latinoamericana De Psicopatologia Fundamental, 11(3): 490-6.
[15]	Schoenholtz, J. C. (2005). Origin of the term "schizophrenia". American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(7): 1393.
[16]	Stotz-Ingenlath, G. (2000). Epistemological aspects of Eugen Bleuler's conception of schizophrenia in 1911. Medicine Health Care Philosophy, 3(2): 153-9.
[17]	Tandon, R.; Nasrallah, H. A.; Keshavan, M. S. (2009). Schizophrenia, "just the facts" 4. Clinical features and conceptualization Schizophrenia, 110(1-3): 1-23.

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APA Style

Sousa, B. C., Sá, Z. C. D., Ramos, J. (2024). Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 13(6), 98-103. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11

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ACS Style

Sousa, B. C.; Sá, Z. C. D.; Ramos, J. Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2024, 13(6), 98-103. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11

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AMA Style

Sousa BC, Sá ZCD, Ramos J. Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept. Am J Appl Psychol. 2024;13(6):98-103. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11,
  author = {Barbara Castro Sousa and Zoe Correia de Sá and Joana Ramos},
  title = {Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept
},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {13},
  number = {6},
  pages = {98-103},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20241306.11},
  abstract = {Schizophrenia, like many mental disorders, was historically viewed as madness or demonic possession until the 18th century when psychiatry began to emerge as a scientific discipline. French psychiatrist Bénédict Morel played a pivotal role in this transformation by coining the term "démence précoce." He used this term to describe a set of clinical features observed in schizophrenia, suggesting that it was due to an inherent biological defect that progressively worsened through successive generations. German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin further refined Morel's ideas by developing the concept of "dementia praecox". He described a cluster of symptoms and signs characterized by a specific course and outcome, emphasizing the chronic and deteriorative nature of the illness. Kraepelin's work laid the groundwork for modern understanding, emphasizing the classification of psychiatric conditions based on symptom clusters, progression, and outcomes. In the early 20th century, Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler introduced the term "schizophrenia", marking a significant shift in the conceptualization of the disorder. He viewed it not as a single disease but as a group of related disorders, which he called the "group of schizophrenias." Bleuler focused on the splitting of cognitive functions—such as thinking, feeling, and behavior—recognizing a broader spectrum of symptoms beyond the purely degenerative model proposed by Kraepelin. The evolution of schizophrenia's conceptualization reflects broader developments in neuropsychiatry, neuropsychopharmacology, and neuroscience. Advances in these fields have refined diagnostic criteria, understanding of neurobiological underpinnings, and treatment approaches. However, the journey to fully understanding schizophrenia is ongoing. The complexities of its causes, manifestations, and treatments mean that its history—and the final chapter of its understanding—remains to be written, as new research continues to challenge and expand upon existing knowledge.
},
 year = {2024}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept

AU  - Barbara Castro Sousa
AU  - Zoe Correia de Sá
AU  - Joana Ramos
Y1  - 2024/11/26
PY  - 2024
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
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AB  - Schizophrenia, like many mental disorders, was historically viewed as madness or demonic possession until the 18th century when psychiatry began to emerge as a scientific discipline. French psychiatrist Bénédict Morel played a pivotal role in this transformation by coining the term "démence précoce." He used this term to describe a set of clinical features observed in schizophrenia, suggesting that it was due to an inherent biological defect that progressively worsened through successive generations. German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin further refined Morel's ideas by developing the concept of "dementia praecox". He described a cluster of symptoms and signs characterized by a specific course and outcome, emphasizing the chronic and deteriorative nature of the illness. Kraepelin's work laid the groundwork for modern understanding, emphasizing the classification of psychiatric conditions based on symptom clusters, progression, and outcomes. In the early 20th century, Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler introduced the term "schizophrenia", marking a significant shift in the conceptualization of the disorder. He viewed it not as a single disease but as a group of related disorders, which he called the "group of schizophrenias." Bleuler focused on the splitting of cognitive functions—such as thinking, feeling, and behavior—recognizing a broader spectrum of symptoms beyond the purely degenerative model proposed by Kraepelin. The evolution of schizophrenia's conceptualization reflects broader developments in neuropsychiatry, neuropsychopharmacology, and neuroscience. Advances in these fields have refined diagnostic criteria, understanding of neurobiological underpinnings, and treatment approaches. However, the journey to fully understanding schizophrenia is ongoing. The complexities of its causes, manifestations, and treatments mean that its history—and the final chapter of its understanding—remains to be written, as new research continues to challenge and expand upon existing knowledge.

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Author Information

Barbara Castro Sousa

Psychiatry Department, Cova da Beira Hospital Center, Covilhã, Portugal

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4525-7205
Zoe Correia de Sá

Psychiatry Department, Cova da Beira Hospital Center, Covilhã, Portugal

Contact Email
Joana Ramos

Psychiatry Department, Cova da Beira Hospital Center, Covilhã, Portugal

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Sousa, B. C., Sá, Z. C. D., Ramos, J. (2024). Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 13(6), 98-103. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11

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ACS Style

Sousa, B. C.; Sá, Z. C. D.; Ramos, J. Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2024, 13(6), 98-103. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11

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AMA Style

Sousa BC, Sá ZCD, Ramos J. Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept. Am J Appl Psychol. 2024;13(6):98-103. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11,
  author = {Barbara Castro Sousa and Zoe Correia de Sá and Joana Ramos},
  title = {Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept
},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {13},
  number = {6},
  pages = {98-103},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20241306.11},
  abstract = {Schizophrenia, like many mental disorders, was historically viewed as madness or demonic possession until the 18th century when psychiatry began to emerge as a scientific discipline. French psychiatrist Bénédict Morel played a pivotal role in this transformation by coining the term "démence précoce." He used this term to describe a set of clinical features observed in schizophrenia, suggesting that it was due to an inherent biological defect that progressively worsened through successive generations. German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin further refined Morel's ideas by developing the concept of "dementia praecox". He described a cluster of symptoms and signs characterized by a specific course and outcome, emphasizing the chronic and deteriorative nature of the illness. Kraepelin's work laid the groundwork for modern understanding, emphasizing the classification of psychiatric conditions based on symptom clusters, progression, and outcomes. In the early 20th century, Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler introduced the term "schizophrenia", marking a significant shift in the conceptualization of the disorder. He viewed it not as a single disease but as a group of related disorders, which he called the "group of schizophrenias." Bleuler focused on the splitting of cognitive functions—such as thinking, feeling, and behavior—recognizing a broader spectrum of symptoms beyond the purely degenerative model proposed by Kraepelin. The evolution of schizophrenia's conceptualization reflects broader developments in neuropsychiatry, neuropsychopharmacology, and neuroscience. Advances in these fields have refined diagnostic criteria, understanding of neurobiological underpinnings, and treatment approaches. However, the journey to fully understanding schizophrenia is ongoing. The complexities of its causes, manifestations, and treatments mean that its history—and the final chapter of its understanding—remains to be written, as new research continues to challenge and expand upon existing knowledge.
},
 year = {2024}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Démence Précoce: Historical Conceptualization of the Concept

AU  - Barbara Castro Sousa
AU  - Zoe Correia de Sá
AU  - Joana Ramos
Y1  - 2024/11/26
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 98
EP  - 103
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20241306.11
AB  - Schizophrenia, like many mental disorders, was historically viewed as madness or demonic possession until the 18th century when psychiatry began to emerge as a scientific discipline. French psychiatrist Bénédict Morel played a pivotal role in this transformation by coining the term "démence précoce." He used this term to describe a set of clinical features observed in schizophrenia, suggesting that it was due to an inherent biological defect that progressively worsened through successive generations. German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin further refined Morel's ideas by developing the concept of "dementia praecox". He described a cluster of symptoms and signs characterized by a specific course and outcome, emphasizing the chronic and deteriorative nature of the illness. Kraepelin's work laid the groundwork for modern understanding, emphasizing the classification of psychiatric conditions based on symptom clusters, progression, and outcomes. In the early 20th century, Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler introduced the term "schizophrenia", marking a significant shift in the conceptualization of the disorder. He viewed it not as a single disease but as a group of related disorders, which he called the "group of schizophrenias." Bleuler focused on the splitting of cognitive functions—such as thinking, feeling, and behavior—recognizing a broader spectrum of symptoms beyond the purely degenerative model proposed by Kraepelin. The evolution of schizophrenia's conceptualization reflects broader developments in neuropsychiatry, neuropsychopharmacology, and neuroscience. Advances in these fields have refined diagnostic criteria, understanding of neurobiological underpinnings, and treatment approaches. However, the journey to fully understanding schizophrenia is ongoing. The complexities of its causes, manifestations, and treatments mean that its history—and the final chapter of its understanding—remains to be written, as new research continues to challenge and expand upon existing knowledge.

VL  - 13
IS  - 6
ER  -

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