Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Verbal fluency as a possible predictor for psychosis
H E Becker1, D H Nieman, P M Dingemans
1Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands. H.E.Becker@amc.uva.nl
Background:
Neurocognitive abnormalities are prevalent in both first episode schizophrenia patients and in ultra high risk (UHR) patients.
Aim:
To compare verbal fluency performance at baseline in UHR in patients that did and did not make the transition to psychosis.
Method:
Baseline verbal fluency performance in UHR-patients (n=47) was compared to match first episode patients (n=69) and normal controls (n=42).
Results:
Verbal fluency (semantic category) scores in UHR-patients did not differ significantly from the score in first episode schizophrenia patients. Both the UHR group (p<0.003) and the patient group (p<0.0001) performed significantly worse than controls. Compared to the non-transition group, the transition group performed worse on verbal fluency, semantic category (p<0.006) at baseline.
Conclusions:
Verbal fluency (semantic category) is disturbed in UHR-patients that make the transition to psychosis and could contribute to an improved prediction of transition to psychosis in UHR-patients.
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Schizophrenia
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...

