Differential language characteristics in adult aphasic and schizophrenic subjects.

Sixty-one adult aphasic and 61 noncerebrally involved chronic undifferentiated schizophrenic subjects were tested for impairment in 10 language categories. Results indicated that the language categories of strongest differentiating value were writing of words to dictation, naming, syntax, where aphasic subjects were more impaired in all three, and relevance, where schizophrenic subjects were more impaired. To a lesser extent, other differentiating language features were auditory retention span, and overall language ability, where aphasic subjects were more impaired in both, and fluency, where aphasic subjects were less fluent. Both groups also were tested for apraxia of speech, oral apraxia, limb apraxia, time and place orientation, and ability to respond to questions containing general information.