15th November 2023

What is Thought Form?

As previously mentioned, thought form refers to how a thought is expressed in speech. It evaluates how logical, well sequenced, and coherent the sentences spoken by the patient are.

Problems with thought form are most associated with schizophrenia and organic brain disorders. It is important to note that cognitive deficits across most domains are well evidenced to occur in schizophrenia, too. They can have their onset prior to the onset of positive psychotic symptoms, including formal thought disorder. As a result, in clinical practice, it can be difficult to differentiate whether problems in how a thought is expressed are due to a formal thought disorder or due to cognitive deficits. In some patients, both may be contributing simultaneously.

References

• Bowie, C. R., & Harvey, P. D. (2006). Cognitive deficits and functional outcome in schizophrenia. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 2(4), 531–536.