Semantic fluency reveals reduced functional connectivity between subcategorical co-hyponyms in recent-onset inpatients with first-episode psychosis

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Petar Gabrić https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2644-194X
• Author: Mija Vandek https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3398-7350
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of German language and literature)
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Comparative literature)
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Linguistics)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Psychiatry
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; General Linguistics
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Psychology; Clinical and Health Psychology
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: INTERDISCIPLINARY AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE; Cognitive Science (Natural, Technical, Biomedical and Healthcare, Social and Humanistic Sciences)

Abstract (english)

Data on clustering and switching during semantic fluency (SF) in patients with first-episode psychosis (PwFEP) are scant. We aimed to investigate (1) clustering and switching on SF in PwFEP using more detailed clustering analyses and (2) the possibility of disproportionate clustering deficits across different SF tasks in PwFEP and healthy subjects (HS), with the latter being suggested by the current literature on patients with schizophrenia. We recruited 22 Croatian-speaking PwFEP with schizophrenia features or symptoms and 22 HS matched in age, sex distribution, and handedness. All patients were medicated and had a mean illness duration of 1 month. The categories animals, trees, vegetables, fruits, and musical instruments were administered for SF. PwFEP produced significantly fewer correct words in the aggregate score, as well as across all categories. The switching rate was significantly higher in PwFEP, but no post hoc comparisons were significant. PwFEP also produced significantly smaller clusters, yet the post hoc comparisons for the tree and fruit task were not significant. A higher switching rate and smaller clusters indicate less efficient functional connectivity within subcategories of the given categories, but not necessarily between the subcategories. Although both less likely to produce a cluster once a switch has been uttered and less likely to produce clusters larger than two words compared to HS, the latter deficit was more pronounced. Our results further suggest that PwFEP might show normal clustering performance on some SF tasks. We discuss the results in the context of the hypothesis of semantic hyperactivation in psychoses.

• Keywords (english): semantic fluency; schizophrenia; first-episode psychosis; clustering; hypernymy; co-hyponymy
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Submitted
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Submitted version
• Journal title: Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
• p-ISSN: 0269-9206
• e-ISSN: 1464-5076
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:679137
• Submitted: 2021-03-07
• Project: Number: 11-831-1006; Title (croatian): Leksičko-semantička obrada kod pacijenata s prvom epizodom shizofrenije; Title (english): Lexical-semantic processing in patients with first-episode schizophrenia; Leader: Petar Gabrić; Jurisdiction: Croatia; Funding stream: Studentski projekti Filozofskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2021-03-07 19:54:02