Commentary to "late-onset schizophrenia and late paraphrenia"

The biological bases for late-life psychotic disorders are unknown. Thus, diverse clinical phenomenology that is often described by a single nominative may actually represent multiple biological abnormalities. Conversely, several differently named disorders may actually have similar biological substrates. Until there is a greater understanding of the biological underpinnings of such disorders, diagnostic nomenclature should not only be rigorously applied, but consistent across the scientific community. The review of the use of the term "late paraphrenia" by Riecher-Rössler et al. (1995, this issue) underscores the potential confusion of multiple nominatives, and their suggestion to abandon the term "late paraphrenia" in ICD-10 merits serious consideration.