Neurocognitive and social cognitive correlates of formal thought disorder in schizophrenia patients

Schizophr Res. 2006 Jul;85(1-3):84-95. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.03.007. Epub 2006 Apr 19.

Abstract

The neurocognitive and social cognitive correlates of two types of formal thought disorder (i.e., bizarre-idiosyncratic and concrete thinking) were examined in 47 stable outpatients with schizophrenia. Both types of thinking disturbance were related to impairments in verbal learning, intrusions in verbal memory, immediate auditory memory, sustained attention, and social schema knowledge. Distractibility during an immediate memory task was associated with more frequent bizarre verbalizations but not concreteness. Impaired verbal learning rate and intrusions in verbal memory independently contributed to the prediction of bizarre responses, whereas intrusions in verbal memory and impaired immediate memory independently contributed to concrete thinking. This pattern of findings is consistent with the view that neurocognitive and, possibly, social cognitive deficits underlie these two aspects of formal thinking disturbance in schizophrenia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attention
  • Brain / physiopathology*
  • Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Cognition Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders / diagnosis
  • Memory Disorders / epidemiology
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Psychotic Disorders / diagnosis
  • Psychotic Disorders / epidemiology
  • Psychotic Disorders / physiopathology
  • Schizophrenia / diagnosis
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology*
  • Schizophrenia / physiopathology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Social Perception*
  • Thinking*
  • Verbal Learning