SOME PROGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR THE RESPONSE OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS TO INSULIN TREATMENT
CONRAD WALL M. D.
A study was made of 37 schizophrenic patients in an attempt to discover factors related to their response to insulin shock treatment. Of good prognostic significance were found to be:
1. The presence of atypical schizophrenia.
2. The presence of considerable emotional reaction.
3. A history of some attempt at sexual adaptation.
4. Manifestation of sexual interest in the psychotic state.
The patients who reacted poorly to the treatment
1. Very frequently came from a poorly integrated family with little solidarity among its members.
2. In many instances as children they were considered in some respect different from the other siblings.
3. They adapted to school in a somewhat worse than average fashion and showed a lack of ambition.
4. They showed very little sexual interest prior to the psychosis and there were no overt sexual manifestations other than autoeroticism during the psychosis.
5. Almost all of the patients who exhibited autistic behavior (mannerisms, grimacing, posturing, etc.) failed to respond.
6. They showed a picture of typical schizophrenia without extraneous admixtures.
