'Asneezia'--some further observations

Abstract

Absence of sneezing or inability to sneeze was found in 2.6% of psychiatric patients, although only half complained of the symptom spontaneously. This was the most frequent of a triad of features, the others being infrequent attacks, of coryza and light-headedness. Endogenous depression was the commonest psychiatric diagnosis, followed by schizophrenia, but 'asneezics' differed significantly from controls in their diagnostic distribution; they also tended to be older, poorer, and less educated. The course and outcome of the asneezic triad ran almost parallel to those of the primary psychiatric illness.