A Study on the Internal Body Water Quantity of Schizophrenics—Differences between Polydipsiacs and Non-polydipsiacs

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine differences in the internal body water quantity between polydipsiacs and non-polydipsiacs using Bioelectrical Impedance Spectrum method (the BIS method, hereafter). Method: The subjects of the study were a patient group of the schizophrenics in their 30's to 50's admitted to a mental hospital and their counter group of healthy males of the same age group. Those in the patient group were further divided into two groups, polydipsiacs and non-polydipsiacs, according to the researcher's criteria. Results: The one-way ANOVA and multiple comparison among the three groups showed that the non-polydipsiac group had the lowest %ICF in the internal body water ratio, while the healthy group had the highest; there were significant differences between the healthy and the polydipsiac groups as well as between the healthy and non-polydipsiac groups. Thus, it was implied that the internal body water quantity of schizophrenic patients has a tendency of dehydration inside the cells and that the patients' thirst may be a physiological need accompanied with a decrease in the %ICF. The internal body water quantity was more widely distributed for the polydipsiac group than for the non-polydipsiac group.