BSABS - Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms

The recording of basic symptoms (BS) has not yet become an indispensable part of the clinical psychiatric diagnostics at the inquiry of the case history and the mental state. In the modern diagnostic systems of ICD-10 [382] and DSM-IV [2] and their criteria of schizophrenia and related disorders, including their prodromal and residual symptoms, the BS are not considered. Recently, some of the BS were included, e.g., in an instrument for the retrospective assessment of onset of schizophrenia (IRAOS).

The Bonn Scale for the Assessment of BS - BSABS, first published in 1987, Italian, Danish, Spanish and Japanese editions in 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996 - represents a standardized procedure for the inquiry and documentation of the psychopathological and other phenomenological data of patients with the diagnosis »schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders« established according to ICD-10 F2 or »schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders« according to DSM-IV. But, the BSABS can also and especially be used in patients, in whom the tentative diagnosis of a prepsychotic precursor stage (prodrome or outpost syndrome) or of a postpsychotic basic stage of a schizophrenic or related disorder (ICD-10 F2; F20, 22- 25) seems to be justified. Further, the BSABS can be administered in (unipolar, bipolar or other) affective disorders according to ICD-10 F3 or mood disorders (depressive and bipolar disorders, respectively) according to DSM-IV. For, also in the »affective psychoses« (»zyklothymia« according to K. SCHNEIDER, manic and depressive diseases according to M. BLEULER and H.J. WEITBRECHT) in the sense of the traditional psychiatry, i.e., in the »major depressive disorder« (DSM-IV) or »depressive episodes« (ICD-10), some of the BS can occur, especially BS of the main categories A, B and D, less of the main category C. Regarding the classification of affective or mood disorders we refer to our critical reviews.