A study on the correlation between semantic distance and cognitive function in schizophrenia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the relationship between lexical semantic processing abnormalities and cognitive function and clinical symptoms in schizophrenia based on the activation diffusion model and semantic distance.Methods:All subjects matched with demographic data were randomly divided into experiment group( n=27) and control group( n=30). The semantic distance of words of different semantic categories and lexical categories were assigned at a level of 1-7.The semantic distance between the two groups was analyzed by repeated measures of variance, and the correlation analysis was conducted on the scores of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) and positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) in the experimental group. Results:The main effects of the groups in semantic distance were statistically significant( F(1, 55)=7.460, P=0.008, ηp2=0.981). The semantic distance in the experimental group (3.672±0.105)was lower than that in the control group (4.068±0.100). The main effect of the semantic category was statistically significant( F(1, 55)= 833.37, P<0.01, ηp2=0.938), and the semantic distance in the relative condition (1.965±0.074) was lower than that in the unrelative condition(5.775±0.117). Under the relative condition, concrete semantic deviation was negatively correlated with the total score of MCCB( r=-0.405, P=0.036)and speech learning ( r=-0.569, P=0.002). Abstract semantic deviation was negatively correlated with speech learning( r=-0.429, P=0.026). Under the unrelative condition, concrete semantic deviation was negatively correlated with MCCB total score ( r=-0.597, P=0.001), speech learning( r=-0.399, P=0.039)and other dimensions.Abstract semantic deviation was negatively correlated with MCCB total score( r=-0.593, P=0.001) and speech learning( r=-0.285, P=0.050). Under the relative condition, the abstract semantic deviation was positively correlated with the general symptom scale score( r=0.448, P=0.019). Under the unrelative condition, abstract vocabulary semantic deviation was positively correlated with PANSS total score( r=0.120, P=0.010), negative scale score( r=0.047, P=0.030) and general symptom scale score ( r=0.306, P=0.010). Conclusion:The semantic distance of lexical processing is abnormal in schizophrenia. The semantic deviation is related to the cognitive function index and symptom index.