The associations of negative and disorganization symptoms with verbal fluency in schizophrenia: the mediation effect of processing speed and cognitive flexibility
Individuals with schizophrenia are characterized by a specific performance profile on verbal fluency tasks. They manifest poor productivity and problems using cognitive strategies for semantic fluency. Referring to executive functioning, schizophrenia patients exhibit decreased cognitive flexibility, problem-solving, and formulating concepts, as well as slow processing speed. It was found that processing speed and cognitive flexibility may be understood as the neuropsychological mechanisms modifying the relationships between negative symptoms, disorganization symptoms, and semantic and phonemic fluency. Therefore, these results provide a foundation for including cognitive flexibility and processing speed in cognitive remediation for schizophrenia patients.
Authors
- Jerzy Samochowiec (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1438-583X)
- Adrianna Bober (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2242-2311)
- Leszek Sagan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5366-1070)
- Anna Michalczyk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7433-161X)
- Piotr Podwalski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6756-4001)
- Jolanta Kucharska–Mazur (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8063-3662)
- Ernest Tyburski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4658-9119)
- Monika Mak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0565-2011)
- Ewa Zawadzka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2710-4614)
- Błażej Misiak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5392-6398)
- Ashok Jansari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0195-6322)
- Artur Reginia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8679-3686)
- Ewa Karabanowicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8018-7017)
- Krzysztof Wietrzyński (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5689-1493)
- Shane T. Mueller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7418-4592)
- Michał Harciarek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8289-8878)
- Karolina Lutkiewicz
Institutions
- University of Szczecin (PL)
- Michigan Technological University (US)
- Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (PL)
- Wroclaw Medical University (PL)
- University of Gdańsk (PL)
- Institute of Psychology (PL)
- Goldsmiths University of London (GB)
- Pomeranian Medical University (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Psychiatry
- Published
- 2025-03-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06597-7
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.88