LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - TRAIT OR STATE INDICATOR

Language comprehension, measured by the Luria-Nebraska Relational Conc epts Factor Scale, was evaluated twice in 15 male DSM-III-R schizophre nic patients during a controlled double blind haloperidol maintenance (without anticholinergics) and placebo replacement protocol, Fifteen m ale normal controls were tested once. Patients and controls were march ed on age and education. Language comprehension was significantly redu ced in patients under both pharmacologic conditions, as compared with controls, Patients' comprehension accuracy did not differ significantl y between neuroleptic-treatment and placebo replacement conditions. Pa tients' comprehension accuracy was independent of positive symptoms, a nxiety-depression, measures of clinical course, and CSF and plasma mon oamines. Comprehension accuracy was also nor associated with patients' educational level or WAIS-R measures of their intellectual and short- term memory functioning. Patients' comprehension performance was signi ficantly associated only with the negative symptom anhedonia-asocialit y during haloperidol maintenance, Thus, language comprehension in schi zophrenic patients was independent of changes in pharmacologic treatme nt and the positive symptoms of psychosis. Results suggest language co mprehension may represent a stable or trait characteristic in schizoph renia.