Issue 1/2026
Haralanova E., Haralanov S.
“St. Naum” University Hospital, First psychiatric clinic – Sofia
Through our own research and critical analysis of data from the literature, we have differentiated two poles of schizophrenic autism. The negative pole is a direct consequence of the schizophrenic process in the brain and the associated mesocortical hypodopaminergia, contributing to abnormal reduction of outwardly directed affective energy that leads to weakened affective contact with the objective reality (reductive autism). The positive pole is associated with secondary mesolimbic hyperdopaminergia that contributes to abnormal production of inwardly directed affective energy and enhanced affective contact with the subjective reality, thus leading to autistic thinking, psychosis, and secondary social isolation (productive autism). Although the two poles are with divergent deviations from the norm, they can co-exist and even interact, creating a vicious circle of ever-increasing self-absorption in subjective reality and ever-decreasing interest in objective reality. In the present paper, we justify the implications of this discovery for а more effective and personalized treatment of schizophrenic patients.
Key words: schizophrenia, autism, psychosis, affectivity, dopamine, bipolarity, treatment
Address for correspondence:
Haralanov S.
“St. Naum” University Hospital, First Psychiatric Clinic
1, „Luben Roussev“, Str.
1113, Sofia
Phone: +359 9702 251