TY - JOUR T1 - Lexical-Semantic Processing: A Comparison between Schizophrenics and Healthy Individuals TT - پردازش واژگانی– معنایی:مقایسه ی بیماران مبتلا به اسکیزوفرنیا با افراد سالم JF - icss JO - icss VL - 18 IS - 2 UR - http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-478-en.html Y1 - 2016 SP - 0 EP - 0 KW - Schizophrenia KW - Language disorders KW - Right hemisphere KW - Language function KW - Lexical-Semantic N2 - Objective: Language disorders are among the cognitive deficits in schizophrenic patients. Such abnormalities are even considered as key diagnostic features for this mental illness. This study compared the lexical-semantic processing as a right-hemisphere language function between schizophrenics and healthy individuals. Method: A total of 120 subjects (60 schizophrenics and 60 healthy controls) were compared using the Lexical-Semantic Test. Both groups were matched for age, gender and educational level. The Lexical-Semantic Test comprised 11 nouns from different semantic categories and each word accompanied 6 pictures (a target word, two semantic co-ordinates, a functional associate, phonological control and visual control). Subjects were asked to listen to the target word and point to the relevant picture. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS package. Results: The result of t-test between schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals demonstrated a significant difference, indicating lexical-semantic processing deficits in schizophrenic patients. The comparison of subjects’ function in Lexical-Semantic Test based on sex and educational level variable revealed no statistically significant difference. Meanwhile, two-way ANOVA suggested a significant difference based on the age variable. Conclusion: The schizophrenic patients were found to have difficulty in lexical-semantic processing as compared to controls. Such a finding supports the previous studies suggesting lexical-semantic processing deficits in schizophrenic patients. M3 ER -