title: Stability of formal thought disorder and referential communication disturbances in schizophrenia.
abstract: This study examined the degree to which different types of communication disturbances in the speech of 48 schizophrenia patients and 28 controls were variable and state related versus stable and traitlike. Clinically rated formal thought disorder and 5 types of referential disturbance showed substantial stability within participants over time. The sixth type of referential disturbance, the vague reference, was not stable over time. Formal thought disorder was associated with the severity of core psychotic symptoms in patients. whereas referential disturbances showed little or no association with positive or negative symptom severity. Furthermore, changes in psychotic symptoms over time were accompanied by corresponding changes in formal thought disorder but not referential disturbances. These results support the idea that some types of referential disturbances are traitlike and may be reflective of vulnerability as well as manifest illness.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Psychology.
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Docherty
authors.affiliation: Dept of Psychology.
authors.forename: Alex S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Dept of Psychology.
authors.forename: Tasha M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nienow
authors.affiliation: Dept of Psychology.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Dinzeo
authors.affiliation: Dept of Psychology.
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Dangelmaier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking