Question

The other name of Dementia Precox is

• A. Schizophrenia
• B. Paranoia
• C. Manic Depressive
• D. Involutional Melancholia

Hint:

Remember these historical pairings in psychiatry: {Dementia Praecox} = Kraepelin → {Schizophrenia} = Bleuler. {Manic Depressive} = Kraepelin → {Bipolar Disorder}.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question pertains to the history of psychiatric nosology (the classification of diseases). It asks for the modern term for a historical diagnosis.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In 1893, German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin identified a new mental illness which he called "dementia praecox" (meaning "premature dementia"). He used this term to describe a disorder characterized by a long-term, deteriorating course that often began in young adulthood.
Later, in 1908, Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler challenged Kraepelin's view that the disorder always led to dementia. He proposed the term "schizophrenia" (meaning "splitting of the mind") to better describe the fragmentation of mental functions he observed in patients. Bleuler's term eventually replaced Kraepelin's.
(C) "Manic Depressive" was Kraepelin's term for what is now known as Bipolar Disorder.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The historical term "Dementia Precox" was replaced by the modern term "Schizophrenia".