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The authors studied 25 patients with psychasthenic psychopathy who according to the clinical picture were divided into 2 groups: psychasthenics proper and anankasts. The results of the study permitted to detect some correlations between the clinical traits and neurophysiological interconnections between the cortex and nonspecific subcortical structures. Such correlations were made on the basis of a multicomponent structure of the orientation reaction (especially the EEG reactions and SGR) to stimula of different modality and background bioelectrical activity of the brain.

The shapes of the slow brain potentials--conditioned negative wave (CNW) and postimperative negative wave (PNW)--were compared in normal and neurotic subjects. Instruction-directed performance was used to investigate the physiological mechanisms of neuroses and to develop the diagnostic psychophysiologic tests with simultaneous recording of the slow potentials. These were evaluated by calculation of asymmetry and power amplification coefficients for CNW and PNW while more and more complicated instructions were given.

A subtest ("lineograms") of Mira Lopez's method was used for investigating interhemispheral functional asymmetry in 42 patients with schizophrenia, 102 patient-with various neuroses, and 40 psychically healthy subjects. It was found that the character and degree of the asymmetry in the patients with schizophrenia and neuroses differed from those observed in the healthy subjects. The results obtained show a high informative value of the method used for examining the interhemispheral interrelations in psychic diseases, and well agree with the presently existing concepts on relative functional specialization of the psychic activity of each brain hemisphere and the central nervous system peculiarities characteristic of some forms of neuroses.

To study the neurophysiological mechanisms of neurasthenia, hysterical neurosis and obsession neurosis with a view to the practical employment of the results, the authors examined 100 patients and 40 normal subjects using the method of evoked potentials (EP). EP changes indicated an neurasthenia-related decrease in the functional activity of the cortex, weakening of its inhibitive functions and an increase in the reactivity of the system of negative-emotional support. Patients with hysterical neurosis displayed the greatest excitability of the structures of the projective pathways and insufficiency of programme-integrating effects of the higher portions of the brain. Neurosis of obsessive states was characterized by an increase in the activity of specific cortical zones and, to a larger degree, of the centres of negative-emotional reactivity. The time-course of EP during treatment is outlined. The findings obtained may serve as additional criteria in the diagnosis and treatment of neurosis.

The authors have found that disturbances of general sensitivity are characteristic of not only patients with hysterical neurosis, but also of patients with neurasthenia. The clinical structure and the time course of those disturbances in both groups of the patients were found to be rather close. In general, they differ substantially from the sensitivity disturbances in neuroses described earlier. The leading mechanism of the development of those sensitivity disturbances consists in an impairment of the function of the limbico-reticular complex structures.

The follow-up findings were studied in 102 patients with long-standing (2-17 years) neuroses (neurasthenia, 49 cases, hysterical neurosis, 53 cases) and compared with those in 40 patients with acute forms of these diseases. The results of the study point out to factors predisposing to an unfavourable course of the illness. Ii is noted that in most cases, protracted neuroses develop in individuals with definite personality characteristics and numerous variants of "biological insufficiency", such as aggravated heredity, frequent colds in childhood, attendant somatic pathology, etc. Some risk factors have been emphasized including a prolonged influence of psychotraumatic circumstances on these patients, their late application for help to the psychiatrist and late initiation of the adequate treatment.

The paper is related to studies of the sympathico-adrenal activity, hypophysisadrenal and entero-chromaphine systems in patients with hysterical and phobic neuroses. They detected certain regularities in the initial activities of these systems as well as of their reactivity depending upon the character of the functional symptom, psychological personality traits and cerebral dysfunctions.

Electroencephalographic examinations have been carried out in 179 neurotic patients. Five types of the EEG have been identified depending on the nature of cortico-subcortical interrelations. Types 1 and 2 are normal variants; types 3, 4, and 5 are abnormal. It has been ascertained that in patients with hysteria normal EEG types occur less commonly while irritation of the posterior hypothalamus is much more frequent as compared to neurasthenic patients. It has been established that an injury or neuroinfection are responsible for pathologic EEG alterations.