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Re-examination of the Language of Psychotic Subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

K. King ,
W. I. Fraser ,
P. Thomas  and
R. E. Kendell
K. King*
Affiliation:
Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL
W. I. Fraser*
Affiliation:
Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL
P. Thomas
Affiliation:
Ely Hospital, University of Wales, Cardiff
R. E. Kendell
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
*
∗Correspondence first paper
†Correspondence second paper
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Abstract

To investigate whether language in schizophrenia deteriorated progressively, 11 schizophrenic subjects, 9 manic subjects and 9 controls were re-tested after an interval of three years using the computer-assisted syntactical analysis technique of Morice. In 13 of the 16 linguistic variables described as hallmarks of schizophrenic speech decline, deterioration was noted in schizophrenics in the direction predicted and relative to the manic and control groups. The deterioration was most pronounced in complexity and integrity of speech. One variable remained unchanged and two (semantic variables) showed marginal improvement. It was concluded that language, and in particular syntax, does deteriorate in the schizophrenic process.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 156 , Issue 2 , February 1990 , pp. 211 - 215
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990

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