Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying Verbal Fluency in Schizophrenia

Abstract

It is often noted that there is an overall decrease in cognition, especially in verbal fluency among Schizophrenia patients. The research points out at different mechanisms which are semantic disorganization, poor executive functioning and compromised psychomotor speed of processing that could potentially cause the underperformance of the patients when compared to healthy participants. The current review aims to examine the underlying mechanisms involved in deficits of verbal fluency in Schizophrenia, using qualitative aspects of the verbal fluency task, namely clustering and switching. The results are ambiguous and further research is necessary because of the varying methods used in different studies, however, recent research supports that overall reduced psychomotor speed of processing might be one of the major causes.