Linguistic performance in schizophrenia: a comparison of acute and chronic patients

Article Abstract:

The degree to which thought disorder is present in schizophrenics is thought to be an indicator of chronicity and prognosis, with severe thought disorder suggestive of poor prognosis and a more chronic course of illness. Evidence for this view is contradictory, however, due to poor inter-rater reliability because of the difficulties in defining thought disorder. Linguistic theory may offer a more objective approach by which to differentiate chronic from acute schizophrenia. Grouping subjects by length of illness, 50 subjects were identified as acute schizophrenics with symptoms of less than five years duration; 27 were identified with chronic schizophrenia with symptoms of at least 10 years. There were 50 control subjects as well, and groups were similar with respect to sociodemographics. Samples of speech were obtained for each subject during two interviews and the sentences were analyzed. It was found that on measures of complexity of spoken sentences, linguistic errors, and fluency, chronic schizophrenics performed more poorly than acute schizophrenics, and acute schizophrenics performed more poorly than normal controls. It is speculated that three factors may be involved: cognitive deterioration with progressive disease; pre-existing linguistic deficiencies; or lack of socialization and use of language as a result of the disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Methods, Linguistics

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Re-examination of the language of psychotic subjects

Article Abstract:

Research has suggested that the syntax (arrangement of words within a sentence) of sentences formed by schizophrenics can be differentiated from the syntax of sentences of normal individuals and those with other mental illness. This may allow the observation of syntactic changes to be one way to discriminate between psychiatric disorders. Sentences spoken by schizophrenics tend to be markedly less complex, less fluent, and contain more errors than those spoken by others,. These differences may be are caused by a deterioration in cognitive functioning, predisposing poor linguistic performance; or fewer opportunities for social interaction and spoken communication secondary to illness may be involved. Three years after an original study, 11 schizophrenics, 9 manics, and 9 controls were traced and the original study was replicated. Recordings were made of speech on two occasions, and spoken sentences were transcribed and analyzed. It was found that on most variables, schizophrenics performed most poorly; manics performed slightly better than schizophrenics, but worse than normals. Compared to original data, the overall performance of the schizophrenic group deteriorated over the three years. This suggests that syntax of language does deteriorate as schizophrenic illness progresses. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Usage, Psycholinguistics, Psychoses, Psychotic disorders

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Unexplained fluctuations in the risk for schizophrenia by month and year of birth

Article Abstract:

Research has established that in temperate climates schizophrenics are more often born in the winter than other people are, suggesting that there is a seasonal effect that contributes to the development of schizophrenia. It is not known whether the effect has its influence prior to birth or in the period just after birth. Some suspect that a virus in the uterus may be to blame. In the present study, records of 13,661 schizophrenics born between 1914 and 1960 were reviewed. Statistically significant year-to-year and month-to-month differences were found in the numbers of schizophrenics born per 10,000 live births, such that during certain years rates of schizophrenia were higher than would be expected, and in those years the variance was almost completely accounted for by an increased incidence of schizophrenics born in the four months from February to May. It is suggested that the higher incidence of births during these months can be correlated with the temperature six months prior, such that the lower the temperature in autumn months, the higher the rate of schizophrenics born the following winter and spring. Other studies, however, have failed to show such a relationship. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Risk factors, Environmental aspects, Childbirth, Delivery (Childbirth), Seasonal variations (Diseases)

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