Water Balance in Schizophrenia (Progress in Psychiatry Series, No 48)

The association between disturbances in water balance and schizophrenia has long been recognized and heavily researched. Water Balance in Schizophrenia represents the first attempt to provide clinicians with a consolidated guide to polydipsia-hyponatremia, associated with schizophrenia. Here, some of the foremost experts in the field address a variety of issues pertinent to both researchers and clinicians. The first portion of the book focuses on the history of polydipsia-hyponatremia and related conditions. Subsequent chapters are devoted to recent research developments that range from the cellular physiology of thirst and water homeostasis to the behavioral determinants of polydipsia. Additional chapters address recent findings and their implications for understanding schizophrenia. The final portion of the book confronts the problem of clinical management, stressing both behavioral and pharmacological techniques. All clinicians who treat schizophrenic patients will find Water Balance in Schizophrenia an indispensable reference. Whenever possible, the editors provide details regarding methodology and explicit management guidelines. They even include a detailed description of an inpatient polydipsia unit, as well as a comprehensive review of drug treatment.