Effekte der Aktivierung positiver und negativer Stereotype der Schizophrenie auf das verbale Gedächtnis und die Wortflüssigkeit

Summary This dissertation shows the influences of activation of positive and negative disease-related stereotypes on neurocognitive domains in subjects with diagnoses of schizoid forms. For activation of negative stereotypes, results are available for some marginalised groups of the population that show a consecutively reduced performance of cognitive domains. The practicability of such an examination with people suffering from schizophrenia, schizotypic or delusional disorders turned out to be feasible and the effect of the reduction in performance by activating negative stereotypes was shown on the basic cognitive functions of verbal memory and verbal fluency. Methods In an experimental cross-sectional study, 29 subjects, with diagnoses of the schizophrenic type, according to the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, see Graubner 2013), were put into two randomised groups (G1: negative stereotype activation; G2: positive stereotype activation) after evaluating a Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS, see Kay et al. 1987). On the day of the examination, the stereotype was activated accordingly within the instructions of the tests. The subjects completed a total of four neuropsychological, cognitive performance tests (VLMT, RWT, TMT, d2). Differences in mean values were examined using one-tailed t-tests. Results The negative stereotype activation led to a significantly reduced verbal fluency performance, in a sub-test of the RWT, to formal-lexical category change as well as reduced verbal long-term memory performance. There were no group differences for verbal short-term memory performance. The feasibility of the study turned out to be feasible. Conclusion For the first time, a study was carried out on the effect of stereotype activation on the performance of neurocognitive domains, verbal memory and verbal fluency for people with schizophrenic diseases. There was a significantly reduced performance for domains of verbal fluency in the subtest for formal-lexical category change. There were also tendencies towards limitations in verbal long-term memory due to negative stereotype activation. Limitations of the study were the small sample size and the comparison of two effect groups. Overall, if the investigation was conducted effectively, for stereotype activation in subjects with schizoid type disorders, a relevant impact on neurocognitive domains was identified, the performance of which correlated with the prospects of success in rehabilitation (verbal fluency, long-term memory). In the future, stigmatization and Stereotype Threat as important, possibly causal factors of the cognitive restrictions measured, will have to be given greater attention. In addition, changes in testing and the promotion of neurocognitive services, in connection with schizophrenia, will require further research.