Gesture behavior in unmedicated schizotypal adolescents.
Schizotypal personality disorder is characterized by interpersonal and verbal communication deficits. Despite the important role of gesture in social communication, no published reports examine the use of gesture by individuals with SPD. In this study, raters code gesture from videotaped interviews of unmedicated adolescents with SPD, other personality disorders, or no Axis II disorder. Results indicate that SPD adolescents show significantly fewer gestures but do not differ from the other groups in overall rate of movement. The findings are discussed in light of brain regions involved in dysfunction, parallels to schizophrenia, and treatment implications.
Mittal
Vijay A
VA
Department of Psychology.
Tessner
Kevin D
KD
Department of Psychology.
McMillan
Amanda L
AL
Department of Psychology.
Delawalla
Zainab
Z
Department of Psychology.
Trotman
Hanan D
HD
Department of Psychology.
Walker
Elaine F
EF
Department of Psychology.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005868:Gestures; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*