Can Schizophrenia Change to Affective Psychosis?

Five patients diagnosed as schizophrenic 15 to 30 years ago by the authors have been treated intermittently since then for frequent periodic attacks. Each patient has undergone marked improvement. On maintenance medication there are very few (usually two to 14) days of illness each year. The most striking change is that their symptoms are now primarily affective in character rather than schizophrenic.