Peculiarities of perception (visual gnosis) and thinking in patients with schizotypal disorder

Abstract

The article deals with the peculiarities of perception (visual gnosis) and thinking in patients with schizotypal disorder. A cognitive pattern of perception, characteristics of voluntary attention and changes in the mental domain in patients with this pathology were described. 45 people suffering from schizotypal disorder (F21 for ICD-10) were examined, including 27 men and 18 women, the average age was 22.06 ± 1.31 years. Control group was the group of university students (30 people) 14 of them men and 16 women, the average age was 21.03 ± 0.9 years, controlshad not suffered from any mental and chronic physical illnesses. Following patho- and neuropsychological techniques were used: figures of Poppelreuter, method «Non-completed images»; «Elimination of excess», Guildford’s test «Social intelligence», Subtest No. 2 of «Group expression», TMT (Trail Making Test, parts A and B). The results have revealed that the visual perception of the patients with schizotypal disorder is disturbed at every stage of visual gnosis, disturbances appear evidently at the stages of formation of a complex image and its further correlation with pattern samples from memory. It has been shown that in patients with schizotypal disorder, the process of internal logical connection between statements is disrupted, as a result, the act of perceptual nomination changes.