title: The relationship of verbal learning and verbal fluency with written story production: implications for social functioning in first episode psychosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Impairments in speech, communication and Theory of Mind are common in schizophrenia, and compromise social functioning. Some of these impairments may already be present pre-morbidly. This study aimed to investigate verbal functions in relation to written story production and social functioning in people experiencing a first episode of psychosis (FEP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of participants: FEP (N=31) and healthy controls (HC, N=31), completed measures of clinical status, social functioning, a series of neuropsychological tests targeting verbal functioning, and the "Frog Where Are You?" story production task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Story results showed reduced efficiency (words per minute) and self-monitoring (corrections per minute) for FEP compared with HC groups (p<0.01). The FEP group performed significantly poorer than the HC group on most indices of verbal learning and verbal fluency. Story production was positively associated with verbal learning and verbal fluency for the FEP group only (p<0.05). Premorbid function decline was associated with impaired verbal learning and memory for the FEP group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals with FEP show a childhood history of reduced social and academic performance that is associated with skills essential for daily social interactions, as evidenced by the findings for story production, verbal learning and verbal fluency.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health, University of Newcastle, Orange, New South Wales, Australia. Helen.Stain@newcastle.edu.au
authors.forename: Helen J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Stain
authors.forename: Sigrun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hodne
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Joa
authors.forename: Wenche Ten Velden
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Hegelstad
authors.forename: Katie M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Langveld
authors.forename: Jens P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gisselgard
authors.forename: Jan Olav
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Johannesen
authors.forename: Tor K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013060:Speech; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056345:Theory of Mind; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014956:Writing