• Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that is characterized by problems with thinking and communication.
  • One specific aspect of this, called Formal Thought Disorder (FTD), refers to the loss of structure in our thought process that manifests in speech. Many clinical observers in 19th and 20th centuries referred to this aspect, rather than hearing voices or having odd beliefs, as the core aspect of schizophrenia. But this phenomenon is not well understood.
  • In a focused ‘major review’ in Schizophrenia Bulletin, we consider the ways in which we can look at the brain to help us better understand FTD
  • Understanding FTD could lead to better communication and less social disability for people with schizophrenia.
  • We expect brain stimulation and computerised tools that measure speech to be of help in studying FTD.
  • This review is an extended version of a talk given at the Discourse in Psychosis Seminar Series in 2022