Cognitive disturbances and the problem of social disadaptation in schizophrenia

Abstract

The present review covers last decade investigations of social disadaptation in schizophrenics. It is shown that social disadaptation in schizophrenics may be a result of misinterpretation of socially relevant signals that manifests in their thought characteristics. This misinterpretation may be due to the fact that patients with schizophrenia process visual, auditory and tactile information in a peculiar way as supported by psychophysiological, neurophysiological and morphological data. Complex of psychological abnormalities which lead to social disadaptation can be recognized before the disease onset. This makes possible an early start of medical intervention targeting the deficit of social functioning.