Bleuler and schizophrenia — MRCPsych Paper A MCQ

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ModerateHistory and classificationBleuler and schizophreniaMRCPsych Paper A

A historian of psychiatry contrasts Kraepelin's concept of dementia praecox, which emphasised an early-onset deteriorating course, with a later term intended to emphasise splitting or fragmentation among psychic functions. Which psychiatrist introduced the later term?

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Correct answer: E — Eugen Bleuler

Eugen Bleuler introduced the term schizophrenia, derived from Greek roots referring to splitting and mind, to emphasise fragmentation or loss of integration among psychic functions. This modified Kraepelin's concept of dementia praecox, because onset was not invariably early and progressive deterioration was not inevitable. Kraepelin is therefore the principal distractor: he developed the earlier dementia praecox construct but did not coin schizophrenia. Kurt Schneider later described first-rank symptoms; Karl Jaspers made major contributions to descriptive psychopathology and phenomenology; and Sigmund Freud founded psychoanalysis. Thus, the historical distinction in the stem specifically identifies Bleuler.

Reference: Stam J, Vermeulen M. Eugen Bleuler (1857–1939), an early pioneer of evidence based medicine. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 2013;84:594. https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/84/6/594