SELF-MONITORING DYSFUNCTION AND THE SCHIZOPHRENIC SYMPTOMS OF ALIEN CONTROL

Background. Frith & Done (1988) have proposed that the experience of a lien control symptoms in schizophrenia is related to a failure by such individuals to monitor effectively their own willed intentions, actio ns and thoughts. Method. To examine this hypothesis, a heterogeneous g roup of 35 patients, all carrying a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophren ia (or schizophreniform psychosis) and 24 non-patient controls, comple ted a battery of neuropsychological and cognitive tests, which inter a lia, included four putative measures of self-monitoring. Patients took part in a detailed clinical interview to assess current levels of sym ptomatology. Results. Patients generally performed at a lower level on most components of the test battery, including the four self-monitori ng tests. Moreover, patients currently experiencing symptoms of alien control tended to experience greater difficulty with each of the self- monitoring tests; an effect that was relatively independent of neurops ychological or general cognitive function. Conclusions. The relationsh ip between poor self-monitoring and the presence of alien control symp toms provides support for Frith & Done's account of the origins of the se symptoms in schizophrenia.