A Study of Cohesive Patterns and Dynamic Choices Utilized by Two Schizophrenic Patients in Dialog, Pre- and Post-Medication

Abstract

The present study evaluated the communicative deficits in the linguistic performance of two Arabic speaking schizophrenics having a first episode of disorganized schizophrenia. Two facets of the conversational performance of each patient prior to and following antipsychotic medication treatment were considered and compared to normals' performance of these two measures. These were the dynamic development of the interviews and selected cohesive devices. A description of the patients' aberrant conversational behavior and deficits in terms of systemic grammar is offered for profiling schizophrenics' discourse and measuring the effects of stimulant treatment. The neuroleptic clozapine led to both positive and negative changes in the socially appropriate use of language in the schizophrenics' conversations.