title: Associative intrusions in the vocabulary of schizophrenic and other patients.
abstract: Associative intrusions in the thought of short-term and long-term schizophrenic, non-schizophrenic, and non-psychiatric in-patients were measured using Rattan and Chapman's multiple-choice vocabulary test. This test consists of two subtests, one with associative distractors and the other without distractors, which are matched on discriminating power and thus permit the assessment of differential specific performance deficit uncontaminated by the generalized deficit characterisitc of many patient groups. Results indicated that some susceptibility to associative intrusions characterizes all groups of long-term patients regardless of diagnosis. Short-term patients (with the possible exception of schizophrenic) did not show such heightened susceptibility. Lengthy illness and/or stay in hospital are apparently implicated in at least this form of thought disorder, which has been often considered to be a uniquely schizophrenic phenomenon.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications; D001244:Association; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012564:Schizophrenic Language; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014888:Wechsler Scales