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Damiani S, Cavicchioli M, Guiot C, Donadeo A, Scalabrini A, Grecuzzo V, Bergamaschini I, Provenzani U, Politi P, Fusar-Poli P. The noise in our brain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of neuroimaging and signal-detection studies on source monitoring in psychosis. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 169:142-151. [PMID: 38039688 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Noisy thoughts or perceptions are characteristics of psychosis (PSY) and, they are deeply related to source monitoring (SM) - the ability to discriminate the origin of internal/external experiences. METHODS This MOOSE, PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis compared SM performances in PSY compared to healthy controls (HC) focusing on signal-to-noise discrimination in order to: i) test whether neuroimaging procedures (fMRI/EEG) might be a group-specific source of noise for SM; ii) compare error- and accuracy-based indexes; iii) to meta-analyze signal-detection measures (i.e., discrimination index and response bias); iv) to determine the best index capturing SM deficits in psychosis. We conducted a 3-level meta-analysis for each aim to estimate pooled effect-sizes (Cohen's d). SM type, source discrimination and stimulus modality were used as meta-regressors. Heterogeneity (I2), publication bias (Egger's test) and multiple comparisons (Bonferroni correction) were considered. RESULTS Sixteen neuroimaging, 44 error/accuracy-based behavioral and 7 signal-detection trials were included (2297 PSY, age range = 18.78-52.6; 1745 HC, age range = 21.1-53.3). The noise generated by neuroimaging procedures slightly influenced error, but not accuracy. Accuracy-based (d = -0.83), but not error-based, indexes showed significant and large SM impairments in PSY compared to HC. Overall SM performance differences between PSY and HC were larger in discrimination index (d = -0.65) and accuracy (d = -0.61), followed by response bias (d = -0.59, ns) and error-based (d = 0.35) indexes. CONCLUSION Although both accuracy and discrimination indexes differentiate patients with PSY from HC, discrimination index is more reliable and may better capture the bi-directional nature of the internal/external source confusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Damiani
- University of Pavia, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Italy.
| | - Marco Cavicchioli
- University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Department of Psychology, Italy
| | - Cecilia Guiot
- University of Pavia, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Italy
| | - Alberto Donadeo
- University of Pavia, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Italy
| | - Andrea Scalabrini
- University of Bergamo, Department of Human and Social Science, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Pierluigi Politi
- University of Pavia, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Italy
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- University of Pavia, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Italy; Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Lundin NB, Cowan HR, Singh DK, Moe AM. Lower cohesion and altered first-person pronoun usage in the spoken life narratives of individuals with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 259:140-149. [PMID: 37127466 PMCID: PMC10524354 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Usage of computational tools to quantify language disturbances among individuals with psychosis is increasing, improving measurement efficiency and access to fine-grained constructs. However, few studies apply automated linguistic analysis to life narratives in this population. Such research could facilitate the measurement of psychosis-relevant constructs such as sense of agency, capacity to organize one's personal history, narrative richness, and perceptions of the roles that others play in one's life. Furthermore, research is needed to understand how narrative linguistic features relate to cognitive and social functioning. In the present study, individuals with schizophrenia (n = 32) and individuals without a psychotic disorder (n = 15) produced personal life narratives within the Indiana Psychiatric Illness Interview. Narratives were analyzed using the Coh-Metrix computational tool. Linguistic variables analyzed were indices of connections within causal and goal-driven speech (deep cohesion), unique word usage (lexical diversity), and pronoun usage. Individuals with schizophrenia compared to control participants produced narratives that were lower in deep cohesion, contained more first-person singular pronouns, and contained fewer first-person plural pronouns. Narratives did not significantly differ between groups in lexical diversity, third-person pronoun usage, or total word count. Cognitive-linguistic relationships emerged in the full sample, including significant correlations between greater working memory capacity and greater deep cohesion and lexical diversity. In the schizophrenia group, social problem-solving abilities did not correlate with linguistic variables but were associated with cognition. Findings highlight the relevance of psychotherapies which aim to promote recovery among individuals with psychosis through the construction of coherent life narratives and increasing agency and social connectedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy B Lundin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, 1670 Upham Drive, Suite 460, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Henry R Cowan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, 1670 Upham Drive, Suite 460, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Divnoor K Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Aubrey M Moe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, 1670 Upham Drive, Suite 460, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Damiani S, Donadeo A, Bassetti N, Salazar-de-Pablo G, Guiot C, Politi P, Fusar-Poli P. Understanding source monitoring subtypes and their relation to psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 76:162-171. [PMID: 35124869 PMCID: PMC9313862 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Source monitoring (SM) is the metacognitive ability to determine the origin of one's experiences. SM is altered in primary psychiatric psychosis, although relationships between SM subtypes, other cognitive domains and symptoms are unclear. Our aims were to synthesize evidence comparing psychosis -with and without hallucinations- and healthy controls classifying SM subtypes by source discrimination (internal/external/reality monitoring) and stimulus modality (visual/auditory/imagined/performed). METHODS This systematic review adopted Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology and Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes guidelines. Core demographical and clinical parameters were extracted. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used as quality check. SM differences between (i) psychosis patients versus healthy controls and (ii) patients with versus without hallucinations were investigated via random-effect model meta-analysis. The primary effect size measure was standardized mean difference (SMD) in each SM subtype performance (error or accuracy). Heterogeneity, publication biases and meta-regressions were assessed. RESULTS Five thousand two hundred and fifty-six records were screened to finally include 44 studies (1566 patients, 1175 controls). Mean Newcastle-Ottawa score was 7.41 out of 9. Few studies measured SM associations with cognition (n = 9) and symptoms (n = 19), with heterogeneous findings. SM performance across all measures was reduced in psychosis versus healthy controls (SMD = 0.458). Internal SM (SMD: errors = 0.513; accuracy = 0.733) and imagined stimuli (SMD: errors = 0.688; accuracy = 0.978) were specifically impaired. Patients with versus without hallucinations showed SM deficits only for externalizing (SMD = 0.410) and imagined/auditory (SMD = 0.498/0.277) errors. CONCLUSION The proposed classifications highlight specific SM deficits for internal/imagined stimuli in psychosis, providing evidence-based indications to design and interpret future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Damiani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alberto Donadeo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicola Bassetti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gonzalo Salazar-de-Pablo
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Cecilia Guiot
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Politi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,OASIS service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Dzirlo L, Richter F, Steinmair D, Löffler-Stastka H. Reflective Functioning in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Non-Affective Psychosis and Affective Disorders-Differences and Similarities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052780. [PMID: 33803368 PMCID: PMC7967285 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as part of the functional somatic syndromes, is frequent in the general population. Medical care and morbidity costs are high, and so is the psychological and somatic strain. The etiopathogenesis of IBS is still poorly understood; it is assumed to be multifactorial and to include biopsychosocial factors. Links between the intestine, psyche, nervous system (e.g., via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-Axis/neurotransmitters) and with the microbiome, the immune system have lately been investigated. Factors such as personality traits, mentalization, and early attachment strategies (deactivating and hyperactivating) have been suggested to influence IBS with relevance for treatment regimens. At this time, data on reflective functioning (RF) is lacking. Within a cross-sectional, we examined the mentalizing capacity of a clinical sample (n = 90) consisting of patients with IBS (n = 30), affective disorders (AD; n = 28), and non-affective psychosis (NAP; n = 32). The reflective functioning scale was used based on the brief reflective function interview (BRFI). The results revealed severe impairment in patients with IBS concerning their mentalizing ability, which was comparable to patients with affective disorders. Patients with non-affective-psychosis showed the lowest mentalizing ability. Thus, psychotherapeutic treatment with a focus on mentalization could be a promising approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Dzirlo
- Department of Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Schwestern, 1060 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Felix Richter
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (F.R.); (D.S.)
| | - Dagmar Steinmair
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (F.R.); (D.S.)
- Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria
| | - Henriette Löffler-Stastka
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (F.R.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-(0)1-40400-30700
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Brébion G, Stephan-Otto C, Cuevas-Esteban J, Usall J, Ochoa S. Impaired memory for temporal context in schizophrenia patients with hallucinations and thought disorganisation. Schizophr Res 2020; 220:225-231. [PMID: 32220501 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Context processing deficiencies have been established in patients with schizophrenia and it has been proposed that these deficiencies are involved in the formation of positive symptoms. METHOD We administered a temporal context discrimination task to 60 schizophrenia patients and 60 healthy individuals. Pictures were presented in two sessions separated by half an hour and the participants were required to remember afterwards whether the pictures had been presented in the first or the second session. RESULTS The number of temporal context errors was significantly increased in the patient group. More specifically, it was highly significantly increased in a subgroup of patients presenting hallucinations, while the patients without hallucinations were equivalent to the healthy individuals. Regression analyses revealed that, independently of memory of the pictures themselves, verbal and visual hallucinations, as well as thought disorganisation, were associated with more temporal context errors. In contrast, affective flattening and anhedonia were associated with fewer of these errors. CONCLUSION Inability to process or remember the temporal context of production of events might be a mechanism underlying both hallucinations and thought disorganisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gildas Brébion
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Christian Stephan-Otto
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Cuevas-Esteban
- Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Judith Usall
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Ochoa
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
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The Complex Relationship Among Formal Thought Disorders, Neurocognition, and Functioning in Nonacutely Ill Schizophrenia Patients. J Nerv Ment Dis 2020; 208:48-55. [PMID: 31738225 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aims of the present study were to 1) evaluate clinical differences between patients suffering from schizophrenia (SZ) with mild versus moderate/severe formal thought disorder (FTD); 2) explore relationships between dimensions of FTD, neuropsychological domains, and global functioning; and 3) compare clinical dimensions of FTD in early and late SZ. One hundred thirty-six individuals with schizophrenia were recruited and evaluated during a nonacute phase of illness. FTD was assessed with the Thought, Language, and Communication Scale. Partial correlations, t-tests, and stepwise regression were undertaken to address the study aims. Patients with moderate/severe FTD performed worse than those with mild FTD for processing speed, reasoning and problem solving, and social cognition, and demonstrated poorer global functioning. Early SZ did not differ from late SZ in terms of negative FTD and difficulty in abstract thinking (DAT). Negative FTD was correlated with reasoning and problem solving; DAT was correlated with social cognition. All clinical dimensions of FTD, regardless of neurocognitive impairment, accounted for a significant amount of variance in global functioning. FTD predicted global functioning, regardless of neurocognitive factors. Due to their stability in different phases of the course of the disease and their strong relationship with other core variables, Neg-FTD and DAT should be investigated as an intermediate phenotype of the illness.
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Chatziioannidis S, Andreou C, Agorastos A, Kaprinis S, Malliaris Y, Garyfallos G, Bozikas VP. The role of attachment anxiety in the relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis. Psychiatry Res 2019; 276:223-231. [PMID: 31112856 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma (CT) is a comprehensive concept encompassing experiences of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and neglect during childhood and adolescence. Patients with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis (SSP) display higher rates of CT than healthy controls. Among the potential mediators of this association, insecure attachment has gained attention and empirical validation. The present study aimed to extend existing knowledge on this field by exploring the role of the two attachment dimensions, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, in the CT-SSP association. A clinical sample of 63 SSP inpatients was compared to a healthy control group on CT and attachment style measures. Correlations between CT, attachment dimensions and psychopathology were sought. Mediation analyses were also performed to examine whether attachment anxiety and/or attachment avoidance mediated the CT-SSP association. Patients displayed higher rates of CT and insecure attachment than controls. Attachment anxiety and severity of Mother Antipathy were linked to severity of hallucinations. Attachment anxiety was recognized as the sole mediator of the CT-SSP association. Our findings suggest that individuals with severe CT and increased attachment anxiety represent a risk population warranting early clinical attention, regular monitoring and tailored therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing the psychological impact of trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stylianos Chatziioannidis
- 2nd Department of Psychiatry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Lagada Street 196, 56430 Stavroupoli, Greece.
| | - Christina Andreou
- University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Agorastos Agorastos
- 2nd Department of Psychiatry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Lagada Street 196, 56430 Stavroupoli, Greece
| | - Stergios Kaprinis
- 2nd Department of Psychiatry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Lagada Street 196, 56430 Stavroupoli, Greece
| | - Yanni Malliaris
- EDO the Hellenic Bipolar Organization and BipolarLab.com, Asimaki Fotila Street 3, 11473, Pedion Areos, Athens, Greece
| | - George Garyfallos
- 2nd Department of Psychiatry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Lagada Street 196, 56430 Stavroupoli, Greece
| | - Vasilios P Bozikas
- 2nd Department of Psychiatry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Lagada Street 196, 56430 Stavroupoli, Greece
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de Sousa P, Sellwood W, Griffiths M, Bentall RP. Disorganisation, thought disorder and socio-cognitive functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Br J Psychiatry 2019; 214:103-112. [PMID: 30139394 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2018.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor social cognition is prevalent in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Some authors argue that these effects are symptom-specific and that socio-cognitive difficulties (e.g. theory of mind) are strongly associated with thought disorder and symptoms of disorganisation.AimsThe current review tests the strength of this association. METHOD We meta-analysed studies published between 1980 and 2016 that tested the association between social cognition and these symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. RESULTS Our search (PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Web of Science) identified 123 studies (N = 9107). Overall effect size as r = -0.313, indicating a moderate association between symptoms and social cognition. Subanalyses yielded a moderate association between symptoms and theory of mind (r = -0.349) and emotion recognition (r = -0.334), but smaller effect sizes for social perception (r = -0.188), emotion regulation (r = -0.169) and attributional biases (r = -0.143). CONCLUSIONS The association is interpreted within models of communication that highlight the importance of mentalisation and processing of partner-specific cues in conversational alignment and grounding.Declaration of interestsNone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo de Sousa
- Department of Clinical Psychology,University of Liverpool,UK
| | - William Sellwood
- Division of Health Research,Faculty of Health and Medicine,Lancaster University,UK
| | | | - Richard P Bentall
- Clinical Psychology Unit,Department of Psychology,University of Sheffield,UK
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de Sousa P, Sellwood W, Eldridge A, Bentall RP. The role of social isolation and social cognition in thought disorder. Psychiatry Res 2018; 269:56-63. [PMID: 30145302 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A better understanding of how social factors relate to the psychological processes in thought disorder (TD) is necessary for the development of effective psychological interventions. Sixty-eight participants diagnosed with psychosis (18-65; 47.1% female) were recruited and evaluated on social cognition (Hinting Task, HT; and reading the mind in the eyes test, RMET), social isolation (size of social network, frequency and quality of contact), psychotic symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS) and TD (Thought, Language and Communication Disorders Scale, TLC). A mediation model was tested with isolation as the predictor, TD as the outcome, and performance on HT and RMET as the mediators. The final model, with adjustment for comorbid symptoms (i.e. delusions, suspiciousness, hallucinations, and negative symptoms), supported full mediation and explained a significant amount of the observed variance (60%). Performance on the HT was a significant mediator of the relationship between social isolation and TD. From the covariates, delusions contributed independently and significantly to TD. The implications of the findings for psychological practice, and TD-specific interventions, are discussed as well as the limitations of the study. Further avenues for symptom-specific research are discussed, in particular with reference to more complex psychosocial models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo de Sousa
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, Whelan Building, The Quadrangle, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69 3GB, United Kingdom.
| | - William Sellwood
- Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Furness Building, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YG, United Kingdom
| | - Alaw Eldridge
- Resettle, Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, L24 8RN, United Kingdom
| | - Richard P Bentall
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Cathedral Court, 1 Vicar Lane, Sheffield, S1 2L, United Kingdom
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Evidence of disturbances of deep levels of semantic cohesion within personal narratives in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 197:365-369. [PMID: 29153448 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Since initial conceptualizations, schizophrenia has been thought to involve core disturbances in the ability to form complex, integrated ideas. Although this has been studied in terms of formal thought disorder, the level of involvement of altered latent semantic structure is less clear. To explore this question, we compared the personal narratives of adults with schizophrenia (n=200) to those produced by an HIV+ sample (n=55) using selected indices from Coh-Metrix. Coh-Metrix is a software system designed to compute various language usage statistics from transcribed written and spoken language documents. It differs from many other frequency-based systems in that Coh-Metrix measures a wide range of language processes, ranging from basic descriptors (e.g., total words) to indices assessing more sophisticated processes within sentences, between sentences, and across paragraphs (e.g., deep cohesion). Consistent with predictions, the narratives in schizophrenia exhibited less cohesion even after controlling for age and education. Specifically, the schizophrenia group spoke fewer words, demonstrated less connection between ideas and clauses, provided fewer causal/intentional markers, and displayed lower levels of deep cohesion. A classification model using only Coh-Metrix indices found language markers correctly classified participants in nearly three-fourths of cases. These findings suggest a particular pattern of difficulties cohesively connecting thoughts about oneself and the world results in a perceived lack of coherence in schizophrenia. These results are consistent with Bleuler's model of schizophrenia and offer a novel way to understand and measure alterations in thought and speech over time.
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Abstract
Eighty patients and thirty controls were interviewed using one interview that promoted personal disclosure and another about everyday topics. Speech was scored using the Thought, Language and Communication scale (TLC). All participants completed the Self-Concept Clarity Scale (SCCS) and the Varieties of Inner Speech Questionnaire (VISQ). Patients scored lower than comparisons on the SCCS. Low scores were associated the disorganized dimension of TD. Patients also scored significantly higher on condensed and other people in inner speech, but not on dialogical or evaluative inner speech. The poverty of speech dimension of TD was associated with less dialogical inner speech, other people in inner speech, and less evaluative inner speech. Hallucinations were significantly associated with more other people in inner speech and evaluative inner speech. Clarity of self-concept and qualities of inner speech are differentially associated with dimensions of TD. The findings also support inner speech models of hallucinations.
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