Neuropsychologia
Volume 75, 2015, Pages 597-606

Second language as a compensatory resource for maintaining verbal fluency in bilingual immigrants with schizophrenia (Article)

Smirnova D. , Walters J. , Fine J. , Muchnik-Rozanov Y. , Paz M. , Lerner V. , Belmaker R.H. , Bersudsky Y.*
  • a Samara State Medical University, Department of Psychiatry, Samara, Russian Federation
  • b Bar-Ilan University, Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Ramat Gan, Israel
  • c Bar-Ilan University, Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Ramat Gan, Israel
  • d Bar-Ilan University, Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Ramat Gan, Israel
  • e Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheba, Israel
  • f Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheba, Israel
  • g Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
  • h Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheba, Israel

Abstract

Background and objectives: Due to the large migrations over the past three decades, large numbers of individuals with schizophrenia are learning a second language and being seen in clinics in that second language. We conducted within-subject comparisons to clarify the contribution of clinical, linguistic and bilingual features in the first and second languages of bilinguals with schizophrenia.Methods: Ten bilingual Russian(L1) and Hebrew(L2) proficient patients, who developed clinical schizophrenia after achieving proficiency in both languages, were selected from 60 candidates referred for the study; they were resident in Israel 7-32 years with 3-10 years from immigration to diagnosis. Clinical, linguistic and fluency markers were coded in transcripts of clinical interviews.Results: There was a trend toward more verbal productivity in the first language (L1) than the second language (L2). Clinical speech markers associated with thought disorder and cognitive impairment (blocking and topic shift) were similar in both languages. Among linguistic markers of schizophrenia, Incomplete syntax and Speech role reference were significantly more frequent in L2 than L1; Lexical repetition and Unclear reference demonstrated a trend in the same direction. For fluency phenomena, Discourse markers were more prevalent in L1 than L2, and Codeswitching was similar across languages, showing that the patients were attuned to the socio-pragmatics of language use.Conclusions: More frequent linguistic markers of schizophrenia in L2 show more impairment in the syntactic/semantic components of language, reflecting greater thought and cognitive dysfunction. Patients are well able to acquire a second language. Nevertheless, schizophrenia finds expression in that language. Finally, more frequent fluency markers in L1 suggests motivation to maintain fluency, evidenced in particular by codeswitched L2 lexical items, a compensatory resource. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Author Keywords

schizophrenia discourse second language bilingualism

Index Keywords

Language Tests verbal fluency immigrant thought disorder Israel schizophrenia cognitive defect human Schizophrenic Psychology middle aged linguistics language speech interview Humans migrant psychology male Emigrants and Immigrants female clinical article Article adult bilingualism Multilingualism language test
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84937886667&doi=10.1016%2fj.neuropsychologia.2015.06.037&partnerID=40&md5=fe4b4c2e972321c9fee557ab0e9083e0
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.06.037
ISSN: 00283932
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English