Negative symptoms in schizophrenia are basis for forming defect and the degree of its expressiveness defines possibilities for rehabilitation. Necessity of a more detailed study of schizophrenic defect in patients with old schizophrenia arose in connection with worldwide tendency to aging of population. The aim of present work was to establish some peculiarities of basic disorders in patients with late onset of paranoid schizophrenia. 36 patients of both sexes aged from 45 to 65 with the duration of process from 2 to 10 years were examined by the clinico-psychopathological method and SANS. 20 patients had the first episode of the illness, the rest underwent from 2 to 7 attacks. 4 patients demonstrated a slight expressiveness of negative symptoms, 26 patients had moderate degree and 3 had a considerably marked one. In all the patients disturbances in the emotional and volitional spheres dominated over the disorders thinking and social functioning. It is found that in repeated hospitalizations affective and associative disorders become deeper whereas disturbances of will, social competence and active attention reveal a less tendency to progressing. The emotional and volitional sphere and thinking suffer in a greater degree in patients with duration of process exceeding 5 years and patients being ill less than 5 years lose their interest to entertainment, contacts with relatives and friends. Thus, medical and rehabilitation measures at the early stage of the disease must be aimed at preserving family status, forming the motives in the work and also stimulating different forms of activities.