"Formal Thought Disorder" in a General-Community Sample With Elevated Schizotypal Traits

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Formal thought disorder (FTD) in schizophrenia is linked to cognitive dysfunction and cortical variability.
• Previous research presents inconsistent findings, potentially due to patient confounds.
• Investigating FTD in non-patient samples with schizotypal traits offers a way to avoid confounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the utility of non-patient samples for FTD research.
• To perform principal components analysis (PCA) of FTD ratings using the Scale for the Assessment of Thought, Language, and Communication (TLC) and the Thought and Language Index (TLI).
• To investigate FTD dimensions in a general community sample with elevated schizotypal traits.

Main Methods:

• Principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to FTD ratings.
• The Scale for the Assessment of Thought, Language, and Communication (TLC) and the Thought and Language Index (TLI) were used.
• A general community sample with elevated schizotypal traits was recruited.

Main Results:

• Both TLC and TLI scales indicated clinically elevated FTD, with TLC showing higher prevalence.
• PCA yielded a three-component TLC solution (disorganization, verbosity, emptiness) and a two-component TLI solution (negative, idiosyncratic).
• TLC "disorganization" and "emptiness" correlated with psychosis-like experiences; TLI "negative" associated with lower cognitive function.

Conclusions:

• The identified FTD components align with findings in schizophrenia research.
• FTD dimensions in individuals with schizotypal traits may share an etiological basis with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
• This study supports the investigation of FTD in non-patient samples to understand the schizophrenia spectrum.