Periodic Catatonia, A Review with Special Reference to Rolv Gjessing*

Abstract

The work of Rolv Gjessing on periodic catatonia is presented. The findings are evaluated in the light of its significance toward a pathogenesis of mental illness. It is stressed that the investigations are impracticable and too costly for general use, especially since most patients seem to improve with generally recognized anti-schizophrenic treatment. It was further pointed out that periodic catatonia is probably a ‘schizophreniform psychosis’ and not related to schizophrenia proper, which enables its metabolic concomitants to serve as a guideline to the investigation of schizophrenia.