relatively mild emotional disturbance will suffice to produce negativistic phenomena. Janet ("Les Obsessions," Vol. I, p. 60) shows that in persons suffering from impulsive ideas, the "abaissement du niveau mental" suffices to liberate a play of contrasts. What, therefore, can we expect from the "apperceptive dementia" in dementia præcox! Indeed, here we really find the apparently irregular play of positive and negative which is very often nicely reflected in the associations as expressed in speech.[1] Hence in the problem of negativism we have sufficient evidence that this symptom too, is in close relationship with "apperceptive dementia." The central control of the psyche is so weakened that it can neither further the positive nor inhibit the negative acts, or the reverse may be true.[2]
Let us now recapitulate what has been said. The authors thus far mentioned have essentially affirmed that diminution of attention, or more generally speaking, "apperceptive dementia" (Weygandt) is characteristic of dementia præcox. The existence of the peculiar shallowing of the associations, symbolisms, stereotypies, perseverations, command automatism, apathy, aboulia, disturbances of reproduction, and, in a limited sense, negativism, are all due to apperceptive dementia.
That neither apprehension nor retention take part as a rule in the general deterioration, seems at first sight rather singular. As a matter of fact one can find in dementia præcox during accessible moments that there exists a surprisingly good, and an almost photographic memory, which preferably takes note of the most indifferent things that unfailingly escape the notice of normal persons.[3] But just such peculiarity shows what the nature of memory is. It is nothing but a passive registration of events which take place in the nearest surroundings. But all that which requires an effort of attention passes without heed by the patient, or at most it is registered à niveau together with the daily visits of the doctor and dinner; at least so it appears to us. Weygandt (l. c.) very nicely describes this lack of active acquisition. Ap-
- ↑ Compare the analyses of Pelletier, l. c., as well as the experimental examinations of Stransky: Über Sprachverwirrtheit.
- ↑ Further works on negativism have already been criticised by Bleuler: l. c.
- ↑ Kraepelin, too, is of the opinion that the apprehension is not more intensively damaged; it is only an increased inclination to an arbitrary production of incoming ideas. Lehrbuch, VII Aufl., p. 177.
