Amotivational Syndrome in Chronic Schizophrenics

Abstract

An attempt is made to provide a description and a biological foundation of the amotivational syndrome as a part of the schizophrenic impairment. The role of a reward system, brain stem arousal, and cortical facilitation is discussed as a neurophysiological support for self and species preservation functions, goal directed behavior and performances. Damage caused to the NA-ergic neurons by toxic metabolites of DA results in a flattening of basic motivations and an incapacity to achieve higher cortical motivations and to perform high cortical activities. As the source of the syndrome a pathological gene might be involved; at its end the superimposed institutionalization has to be removed, in order to uncover the schizophrenic defect itself.