A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THOUGHT-DISORDER IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC-SCHIZOPHRENIA

A differential phenomenological study of acute and chronic schizophren ia is scanty. Thought disorder was assessed in 22 acute and 23 chronic schizophrenics. The scale for the assessment of thought, language and communication was used. Poverty of speech was significantly more freq uent in acute schizophrenia. Positive formal thought disorder was unus ually found to be severer in chronic schizophrenia. No other significa nt difference was found. From the perspective of thought disorder, acu te and chronic forms of schizophrenia seem to be in a continuum with m inimal difference.