The study was aimed at the investigation of the language impairment
features in schizophrenic patients and their possible reasons, hence the
goals of our research were to reveal which language functions were impaired
in schizophrenic patients and how they were influenced by the duration
of the disorder, institutionalization and educational level.
Method:
78 schizophrenic patients and a control group were examined by
means of neurolinguistic tests.
Results:
1.The unstableness of nominative function (word meaning) emerges already
in the initial stage of schizophrenia. The network of word meaning is restricted
and disintegrated.
2. Institutionalization impacts the language functions due to the social
isolation and hence the fact that the patients have no motivation to speak.
The nomination process, vocabulary and reading skills are especially impacted.
3. The educational level influences nominative function, sentence producing
process and vocabulary in schizophrenic patients, but not in the
control group.
Conclusions:
Both semantic network (word meaning) and syntactic complexity (sentence
producing) are impaired in schizophrenic patients. They are not able to
use prior knowledge for carrying out tests. Longtime hospitalization deteriorates
the language functions (e.g., fluency, nomination, complexity properties)
to schizophrenic patients.