Dysthymia and cyclothymia in psychiatric practice a century after Kraepelin

摘要: Abstract Kraepelin had a modern vision of affective illness. He hypothesized that recurrences arose from enduring dispositions depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, or ‘manic’ types. These appeared as ‘temperaments’ in English translations his work. In the extreme, such temperamental gloominess moodiness is today officially diagnosed ‘dysthymic’ ‘cyclothymic’; irritable and hyperthymic (or manic) have not received official sanction contemporary psychiatric nomenclature. This paper reviews recent research which supports Kraepelin’s theoretical framework regarding dysthymic cyclothymic both clinically relevant extreme forms temperament precursors major episodes. Compelling lines evidence along epidemiologic, clinical-descriptive, familial-genetic, therapeutic, follow-up perspectives are summarized for each disposition. Much what psychiatry considered to be realm subthreshold conditions, overlaps considerably with concepts trait described herein. Most importantly, although observations were based primarily on hospitalized, severely ill patients, broad still guides us understanding etiology instituting public health preventive measures