The role of inner speech in psychopathological syndrome formation and cognitive processes

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Proskurina VV, Tkachenko AA. [The role of inner speech in psychopathological syndrome formation and cognitive processes]. Rossiiskii psikhiatricheskii zhurnal [Russian Journal of Psychiatry]. 2024;(2):88-100. Russian

Abstract

In this scientific review, in order to clarify the value of inner speech in abnormal subjective experience, we consider its development as a specific mental function, its role in psychopathological syndrome formation, and its relationship with other cognitive processes. It demonstrates the mechanisms of transformation from external, dialogical, expanded forms of speech interaction into internal, monological, condensed inner speech as the basis for abstract thinking formation, that is, the transition from the image of an object to its meaning. The role of inner speech in psychopathological syndrome formation is revealed both in the disintegration of mental activity and in disruptions of its development. We trace the interrelation of inner speech with such mental functions as attention, language and external speech, memory, consciousness, and self-awareness. We examine how inner speech determines personality development and contributes to social adaptation.

Keywords inner speech; syndrome formation; auditory verbal hallucination; autism spectrum disorders; thinking; cognitive processes; self-awareness

References

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