ABSTRACT

Language disturbances are among the main clinical features of schizophrenia (e.g. Andreasen and Grove 1986; Covington et al. 2005; Koeda et al. 2006). Consequently, clinicians often face the problem of how to assess and interpret these symptoms. This chapter focuses on the problem of language assessment in patients with schizophrenia and its interpretation. We begin by outlining the most accepted psycholinguistic models of language production. We then focus on the characteristics of language production in schizophrenia. In the review of the literature, we outline the potential contributions of techniques of narrative analysis to the already existing procedures of linguistic assessment. Finally, we draw some conclusions on the nature of the linguistic production deficits observed in patients with schizophrenia and their potential connections with other cognitive deficits, such as those affecting attention and executive functions.