Some approaches to the analysis of emotional disorders in non-psychotic mental disorders

Abstract

The clinical expression and pathophysiological basis of emotional disturbances that manifest themselves in symptoms of increased emotional excitability (EE) were analyzed in patients with non-psychotic mental disorders. Ranked questionnaires were used to assess the severity and clinical profile of EE manifestations . In the examined cohort of patients 2 cluster groups were identified, with low (1st group) and high (2nd group) indicators of severity of EE. A number of clinical signs and features of psychogenic response in patients of the 2nd groups were ascertained. Similarities were found between the two groups in nosological and syndromal characteristics, reflecting nonspecific manifestations of EE. Neurovegetological data point to a strengthening of activation processes in the CNS at the level of suprasegmental and segmental autonomic mechanisms of self-regulation in exploring autonomic tone and assessing vegetative support activities associated with the severity of EE. Studies have revealed the prevalence of neural activation processes over neural inhibitory processes and the presence of links with clinical characteristics of EE manifestations. Neurophysiological evidence attests to the peculiarities of the functional activity of different brain regions associated with the presence of increased EE, characteristics of its clinical manifestations and progression of disease. The similarity of non-specific clinical and psychophysiological findings allows the EE to be considered as an independent phenomenon, not always associated with psychopathological part of mental disorders.