The core of classical schizophrenia

Abstract

Carpenter provides an incisive account of the evolution of the concept of schizophrenia in his commentary1 on my article2 about the core deficit of classical schizophrenia. He describes the way in which the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition consolidated the cardinal role of delusions and hallucinations at the cost of neglecting Kraepelin’s focus on persisting deficits. My article attempted to redress that neglect in order to provide a basis for investigating the mechanism(s) of persisting disability.