'Hyper-priming' in thought-disordered schizophrenic patients.
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'Hyper-priming' in thought-disordered schizophrenic patients. / Moritz, Steffen; Mersmann, K; Kloss, M; Jacobsen, D; Wilke, U; Andresen, B; Naber, Dieter; Pawlik, K.
In: PSYCHOL MED, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2, 2001, p. 221-229.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - 'Hyper-priming' in thought-disordered schizophrenic patients.
AU - Moritz, Steffen
AU - Mersmann, K
AU - Kloss, M
AU - Jacobsen, D
AU - Wilke, U
AU - Andresen, B
AU - Naber, Dieter
AU - Pawlik, K
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - BACKGROUND: A number of studies have suggested that indirect semantic priming is enhanced in thought-disordered schizophrenics. However, research on direct semantic priming has produced conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to resolve some of the ambiguities of previous findings. METHODS: For the present study, 44 schizophrenic patients were split according to the presence of associative loosening into a positive thought-disordered (TD) and non-positive thought-disordered (NTD) group. Thirty healthy subjects and 36 psychiatric patients served as controls. RESULTS: Schizophrenics displayed increased indirect semantic priming compared with psychiatric controls. When subtyping the sample, TD-patients exhibited significantly enhanced indirect semantic priming compared with healthy and psychiatric controls as well as NTD-patients. Overall slowing was found to be independent of priming effects. Medication, age and chronicity of the schizophrenic illness did not modulate priming. Conclusions: In line with Spitzer and Maher it is inferred that disinhibited semantic networks underlie formal thought disorder in schizophrenia. For future research, it would be appropriate to: employ indirect semantic priming rather than direct semantic priming conditions; and, pay more attention to potential moderators of the priming effect, most importantly, the prime display duration and the length of the stimulus onset asynchrony.
AB - BACKGROUND: A number of studies have suggested that indirect semantic priming is enhanced in thought-disordered schizophrenics. However, research on direct semantic priming has produced conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to resolve some of the ambiguities of previous findings. METHODS: For the present study, 44 schizophrenic patients were split according to the presence of associative loosening into a positive thought-disordered (TD) and non-positive thought-disordered (NTD) group. Thirty healthy subjects and 36 psychiatric patients served as controls. RESULTS: Schizophrenics displayed increased indirect semantic priming compared with psychiatric controls. When subtyping the sample, TD-patients exhibited significantly enhanced indirect semantic priming compared with healthy and psychiatric controls as well as NTD-patients. Overall slowing was found to be independent of priming effects. Medication, age and chronicity of the schizophrenic illness did not modulate priming. Conclusions: In line with Spitzer and Maher it is inferred that disinhibited semantic networks underlie formal thought disorder in schizophrenia. For future research, it would be appropriate to: employ indirect semantic priming rather than direct semantic priming conditions; and, pay more attention to potential moderators of the priming effect, most importantly, the prime display duration and the length of the stimulus onset asynchrony.
M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
VL - 31
SP - 221
EP - 229
JO - PSYCHOL MED
JF - PSYCHOL MED
SN - 0033-2917
IS - 2
M1 - 2
ER -