Evaluation of speech and language in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Changes of language and speech in neuropsychiatric patients are described by use of a quantifying procedure. In the transcript of a standardized interview the following variables are evaluated (by estimation of indices): rate of speech, pauses, indistinct and incomprehensible articulations, aphasic disturbances, subordinate: principal clause ratio,  stuttering, neologisms, grammatical mistakes, thought disconnections, perseverations/verbigerations, vague utterances, disturbances of orientation, utterances with unusual though content, euphoric utterances, dysphoric utterances, and change of the affective state. Reliability of these indices is tested by inter-rater comparison. The course of speech-language reorganization during therapy is followed. The present method does not intend to give a detailed psycholinguistic analysis, but it yields an objective measure of clinical impressions on abnormalities of language and speech in neuropsychiatric disorders.
D001037:Aphasia / Q000175:diagnosis; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000150:complications; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009155:Mutism / Q000175:diagnosis; D013060:Speech; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014705:Verbal Behavior