[Clinical assessment of schizophrenic syndrome (CASS): validity evaluation of the new diagnostic tool].

Aim: The aim of the study was an evaluation of validity measures of the CASS (Clinical Assessment of Schizophrenic Syndromes)--a new multi-purpose and multi-level clinical diagnostic instrument consisting of a diagnostic questionnaire (CASS-D) allowing to analyze a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria as well as of three rating scales designed for description and intensity evaluation of schizophrenic syndromes on the global (CASS-G), dimensional (CASS-P, a profile of 13 basic dimensions) or symptomatological (CASS-S, a set of 31 symptoms) level.

Subjects: 194 inpatients consecutively admitted to the Department within approximately 6 months were assessed twice (at the start and end of their hospitalization) by 12 trained diagnosticians.

Method: Several measures of validity were analyzed.

[Clinical assessment of schizophrenic syndromes (CASS): rationale, construction, reliability and sensitivity evaluation, and an attempt at normalization of the new diagnostic tool].

Unlabelled: The CASS (Clinical Assessment of Schizophrenic Syndromes) is a new multi-purpose and multi-level clinical diagnostic instrument consisting of a diagnostic questionnaire (CASS-D) allowing for analysis of a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria, as well as of three rating scales designed for description and intensity evaluation of schizophrenic syndromes on the global (CASS-G), dimensional (CASS-P, a profile of 13 basic dimensions) or symptomatological (CASS-S, a set of 31 symptoms) level.

Aim: The paper presents a rationale and construction principles of the tool followed by a study of its reliability and sensitivity as well as by preliminary attempt to normalize its results.

Subjects: Twelve trained diagnosticians assessed twice (at the start and end of their hospitalization) 194 inpatients admitted consecutively, within approximately 6 months, to the Department.

[Psychopathological profile of acute schizophrenic syndromes diagnosed according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria].

Diagnostic and symptomatological profiles of schizophrenic syndromes diagnosed according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV were compared. For this reason a group of patients fulfilling at least one of these sets of criteria was created and then diagnostic and symptomatological profile was compared between those who fulfilled the ICD-10 and those who fulfilled DSM-IV criteria. 105 inpatients hospitalized in acute phase of their first or one of consecutive episodes were included--102 of them had fulfilled ICD-10, and 90 DSM-IV criteria of schizophrenia.

[The evaluation of reliability and validity of a preliminary version of the Clinical Assessment of Schizophrenic Syndrome (CASS)].

Basic indices of reliability and validity of a preliminary version of the new tool for "Clinical Assessment of Schizophrenic Syndrome" (CASS) was evaluated. Six experienced psychiatrists working in two teams examined the mental state of 49 patients with clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, in the majority of them confirmed by the criteria of DSM-IV and ICD-10 (one of the teams examined 25 patients, the other-24). Each diagnostician rated the patients' mental state independently, by means of three-level rating permitted by the CASS-CASS-G (global), CASS-D (dimensions), and CASS-S (symptoms)--as well as by means of BPRS and PANSS scale included in the study as international standard scales for validity testing.

[Delusional psychoses during first hospitalization: age of onset and diagnosis of schizophrenia by six diagnostic criteria].

The histories of illness of 167 patients with syndromological diagnosis of delusional psychosis were analysed with respect to their nosological qualification based on clinical diagnostics and 5 selected, operationalised criteria of schizophrenia. Its purpose was to establish dependence between diagnostics of schizophrenia and morbidity age (early, middle and late). A conclusion was that with application of clinical criteria, diagnosis of schizophrenia was a prevailing nosological qualification within the examined group (67%).