Thesis--Duke University. / Vita. Includes bibliography.

Deficits in attention, memory, and executive functioning have been associated with schizophrenia. Neuropsychological functioning is considered to bridge neuropathology and clinical symptoms in this illness. However, relatively few studies have investigated the connections between specific cognitive deficits and other variables. “Psychomotor poverty” and “disorganization” are two of the three schizophrenia syndromes. Previous work suggests that neuropsychological deficits in the initiation and inhibition of thoughts and actions underlie psychomotor poverty and disorganization, respectively. Part of this study aimed to replicate and extend these findings. Unstructured tasks were used, because they elicit impairments in executive functioning. The present study also examined the effects of neuropsychological functioning and syndromes on overall cognitive competency. Cognitive competency refers to the integrity of cognitive skills important for independent functioning in everyday life. Though often neglected, cognitive competency is an important functional outcome. It was hypothesized that both psychomotor poverty and disorganization would predict reduced cognitive competency. Participants were 40 in- and outpatients, aged 17 to 51 years, with a current diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM-IV criteria. A psychiatrist rated symptomatology using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms. Two unstructured neuropsychological tasks were administered: a verbal description of a picture and the Tinkertoy test. Using these tasks, measures of initiation and inhibition capacity were developed; these revealed good interrater reliability. The Cognitive Competency Test used simulated situations to evaluate cognition in areas that affect everyday functioning. Finally, a brief insight measure was included for exploratory analyses. Data were analyzed within the framework of a causal model. Initiation capacity failed to predict the psychomotor poverty syndrome. One indicator of disinhibition—intermingling—predicted the disorganization syndrome. Disorganization mediated the impact of intermingling on cognitive competency. In contrast, initiation capacity affected cognitive competency directly. Insight correlated with the disorganization syndrome, and contributed to the prediction of cognitive competency. Initiation, disorganization syndrome, and insight, combined, accounted for 58% of the variance in cognitive competency; each variable contributed uniquely. Implications include suggestions as to which deficits and syndromes should be targeted for remediation, to improve patients' independent functioning. / Graduate

The present investigation was an attempt to determine the validity of the Cloze Procedure in assessing differences between schizophrenic patients in the relative severity of thought disorganization. For this purpose, samples of schizophrenic speech in response to TAT cards were obtained from twelve male schizophrenic patients who had been rank ordered by two psychiatrists in terms of disordered thought processes. Equal length schizophrenic language samples with every fifth word deleted and replaced by a standard length blank were mimeographed and presented to a group of upper level undergraduate psychology students who were instructed to try to guess the missing words from the context of those that remained. These mutilated language samples constitute the Cloze forms. The scores on the Cloze Procedure represented a rank ordering by the students of the severity of schizophrenic thought disturbance in terms of the number of correctly replaced words in the language samples elicited from each patient. A substantial correlation coefficient ("r" = .82) was found between the rank order on the Cloze Procedure and the rank order obtained in the external criterion measure, that is, the psychiatric ratings. The results of tests for internal consistency and reliability of the Cloze Procedure ("W" = .622) and for the reliability of the Close raters ("R" = .792) were also substantial. A number of advantages and disadvantages of this method of investigation are discussed and contrasted with those of other somewhat similar procedures. Possible applications to psychiatric research are suggested. The results appear to be conclusive within the limitations of the criterion measure employed in this study. More widespread generalizations await further research which is invited in light of the apparently promising findings of this exploratory study. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

An investigation of the problem of schizophrenia necessitates in the first instance recourse to the following procedures: (I) A definition of the problem and a description of the symptomatology upon which the diagnosis of the disorder is based; (II) An elucidation of the methodological approach to the problem; and (III) A statment in regard to the sources of the clinical material which the investigator has utilised for the purpose of his research. These procedures are treated of in some detail in the ensuing sections.

Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / 2031-01-02

Note:

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 176-199) Also available in print.

Issued also as Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / Bibliography: p. 68-70.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1971. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1959. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-70).