Forced Normalization: Clinical and Therapeutic Relevance

Abstract

The phenomenon of forced normalization and its clinical counterpart, alternative psychoses, is discussed. The historical origins are briefly noted before the clinical presentation, and some associated clinical findings are given. The main part of the article is devoted to the literature on chemical and electrical kindling, in an attempt to provide some heuristic model to understand the antithetical relationship between seizures and behavior disorders. We conclude that the use of the kindling model may provide further insights into these phenomena, particularly taking into account such key neurotransmitters as glutamate, dopamine, and GABA.