[Poison in the filter: implementing detoxification procedures in schizophrenia]

Abstract

In the history of psychiatry a variety of "blood detoxification" procedures have repeatedly been used to treat schizophrenic disorders under the assumption of autointoxication. In the 1970s this led to the use of dialysis. In addition to the historical classification of this therapeutic approach, particularly the protagonists active in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) as well as the dimension of research and science policy are highlighted. Despite the relatively low success rate of the treatment overall, the question of which patients actually had a positive response to the treatment arises. This seemed to primarily be the case for young patients in whom acute catatonic symptoms occurred. From today's perspective there are striking indications that the patients who were successfully treated at that time could belong to the group of autoimmune encephalitis, as they are known today. Autoimmune encephalitis and specifically anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (NMDA-R) demonstrate a characteristic clinical progression with the frequent occurrence of psychiatric symptoms, which also include catatonic symptoms. These can occur in a variety of mental and neurological disorders but are often associated with schizophrenia. To primarily reduce the risk of diagnostic errors, they should initially be considered as non-specific from a diagnostic perspective. In the future, correlating immunological and psychopathological changes may help to delineate groups for whom specific therapies are particularly suitable.

Keywords: Autoimmune encephalitis; Catatonia; Dialysis; History of psychiatry; Schizophrenia.