Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2025 Jul 22;17(7):e88525.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.88525. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Regression to the Primitive Stage: A Case Report

Ezequiel Lafont  1 , Lubov Leontieva  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Regression to the Primitive Stage: A Case Report

Ezequiel Lafont et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

We describe a unique case of a previously independent young male with acute psychosis who experiences various stressors resulting in severe functional decline, demonstrated by fecal and urinary incontinence, impaired ability, and disregard for articulate needs, resembling the early developmental stage of infancy. The patient's regression symptoms were responsive to antipsychotics, suggesting regression may represent an under-recognized symptom of acute psychosis, though this remains speculative until other studies further explore this phenomenon.

Keywords: anti-psychotics; psychological defense mechanism; psychosis; regression; schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

References

    1. Freud S, Strachey J. Complete and Definitive Text. Basic Books, New York. New York : Basic Books; 2010. The Interpretation of Dreams: The Complete and Definitive Text.
    1. Understanding defense mechanisms. Cramer P. Psychodyn Psychiatry. 2015;43:523–552. - PubMed
    1. Rich Rich, M M. Child regression: what it is and how you can support your little one. [ Jun; 2025 ]. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/what-is-childhood-reg... https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/what-is-childhood-reg...
    1. Regression: diagnosis, evaluation, and management. Lokko HN, Stern TA. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2015;17 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Associations between traumatic brain injury characteristics and memory outcomes: insights from the health and retirement study. Cerino ES, Lininger MR, Seaton TJ, Porter G, Baldwin JA. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025;22:150. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources