Language of dysfunction in schizophrenia.

Twenty-four medicated schizophrenic subjects participated in a study aimed at assessing language dysfunction in schizophrenia. Two groups of subjects participated: schizophrenic responders and non-responders to treatment with antipsychotic medication. All subjects were tested on The Western Aphasia Battery test (WAB), the Cookie Theft picture descriptions task, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales--Revised (WAIS-R) block design and picture arrangement subtests. All verbal and non-verbal assessments were compared between groups. The three main findings of this study were: 1. Severe language of dysfunction among schizophrenic patients who do not respond to medication treatment. That is, therapeutic response to medication was the major predictor of the severity of language dysfunction in schizophrenia. 2. A group profile of language dysfunction differed in severity but not in shape between responders and non-responders to treatment with antipsychotic medication. 3. Schizophrenic responders and non-responders to medication treatment did not differ in their performance on a standardised picture description task and failed to reach low-moderate aphasia level. Secondary findings suggest that non-verbal aspects, such as attention and logical sequencing, may be influenced by treatment. This study represents an assessment of schizophrenic language function in relation to known language deficits of neurological patients, lending further support for the role of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction in schizophrenia, and the importance of assessing language dysfunction as a sensitive gauge to treatment response.

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