Theory of mind and language comprehension in schizophrenia

10.7334/psicothema2012.357Background: Theory of mind (ToM) is the natural ability to attribute/infer mental states about ourselves and others. The study of the limits of this capacity in autism spectrum disorders has been projected more recently to the case of schizophrenia. Method: We review the studies on ToM deficiency in schizophrenia based on the link made by Chris Frith between psychotic symptoms and mentalizing anomalies, with particular attention to the implications of ToM in linguistic communication with respect to figurative language comprehension. Results: The data support a connection between ToM deficits and psychotic symptoms. In schizophrenia, the deficit in ToM appears to be specific and not dependent on more general cognitive abilities, and according to the evidence examined, it more closely resembles a trait than a state condition. The analysis of results shows that anomalies in ToM have projections on pragmatic aspects of language comprehension. Conclusions: The ToM deficits manifested in schizophrenic patients are especially linked to difficulties in understanding figurative language, beyond the influence of intelligence and executive functions