Language patterns may predict psychosis

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia can be highly disabling. An episode of psychosis involves experiences that aren’t based in reality. These can include hallucinations and delusions, such as feeling that people are trying to harm you. If researchers could identify when people with psychotic disorders are verging on psychosis, promising methods to delay or stop the process could be tested.

Studies suggest that language patterns may help predict if someone is likely to experience psychosis. Drs. Neguine Rezaii, Elaine Walker, and Phillip Wolf of Emory University tested whether machine learning could help identify such patterns. They used sophisticated computer programs to analyze patterns of speech from 40 people enrolled in a long-term study of youth who are at risk of developing psychosis. The participants were enrolled because of unusual patterns of thought, perception, and communication.

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