Affective reactivity of speech in schizophrenia patients and their nonschizophrenic relatives.

Abstract

This study compared levels of referential communication disturbance in speech samples from 41 stable schizophrenia outpatients, 46 parents of patients, and 23 nonpsychiatric control participants in affectively positive versus affectively negative conditions. The speech of the patients and parents showed elevated frequencies of reference failures in the affectively positive condition compared with control participants: the speech of the patients became more disordered in the affectively negative condition, whereas the speech of the parents did not. These results support the idea that referential communication disturbances reflect vulnerability, as well as overt illness, but that affective reactivity of these disturbances is associated mainly with the manifest illness. These findings are consistent with biological, cognitive, and psychological theories about the processes underlying stress responsiveness of schizophrenic symptoms more generally.

Communication disturbances, working memory, and emotion in people with elevated disorganized schizotypy

“…As has been found for disorganization in schizophrenia (e.g., Docherty et al, 1998), people with elevated disorganized schizotypy exhibited increased CD specifically for negative emotional topics. In addition, as has been found for disorganization in schizophrenia, people with elevated disorganized schizotypy exhibited poor performance on a working memory task.…”

“…Moreover, CD is greater when people discuss emotionally negative topics than positive topics, with this pattern of results being labeled affective reactivity (Docherty & Hebert, 1997;Docherty et al, 1998). Therefore, it is expected that people with disorganized schizotypy would also exhibit increased CD, especially for emotionally negative topics.…”

Affective systems induce formal thought disorder in early-stage psychosis.

“…This allows one to observe 'reactivity'-a change in experimental compared to baseline conditions. Links have been postulated between reactivity and affective and cognitive systems, with greater FTD occurring whenever negative affect or cognitive demands are increased (Burbridge & Barch, 2002;Docherty, Hall, & Gordinier, 1998;Melinder & Barch, 2003). Yet few studies have directly examined the role of these systems in FTD-with none focusing on EP.…”

“…First, a handful of studies have tested whether greater reactivity is observed when negative affect is induced in chronic psychosis and healthy controls (Burbridge & Barch, 2002;Docherty et al, 1998;Rubino et al, 2011), with large group differences emerging (Docherty et al, 1998).…”

Exploring a multifactorial, clinical model of thought disorder : application of a dimensional, transdiagnostic approach.

“…Perhaps the earliest study of the impact of stress on TD was conducted by Shimkunas (1972), who found that emotionally-salient questions elicited greater thought (Docherty et al, 1994;Docherty, Sledge, & Wexler, 1994;Docherty, 1996;Docherty & Herbert, 1997;Docherty, Hall, & Gordinier, 1998). Consistent findings were later replicated by other researchers (Haddock et al, 1995;Tai, Haddock, & Bentall, 2004).…”