Pronoun Use as a Window into Cognitive Function in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Familial Groups

Published: 26 October 2026| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/c94g55zr5d.1
Contributors:
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,

Description

Abstract Background: Pronoun use is linked to cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), but associations of specific forms across patients and relatives remain unclear. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 176 participants (51 SSD patients, 77 first-degree relatives, 48 healthy controls). Naturalistic speech was obtained and pronouns were automatically extracted and classified. Group differences were tested using Poisson generalized linear mixed models with total pronoun count as an offset. Age-adjusted sensitivity analyses were performed. Cognitive associations were examined using linear regression with Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Results: Group differences extended beyond first-person singular pronouns. YO was higher in parents than controls, whereas ME was lower in parents than controls, patients, and siblings. TE was lower in patients than all comparison groups. Group differences also involved ESO, LE, and LO. The Group × Pronoun interaction was significant in age-adjusted sensitivity analyses, although evidence for specific group differences varied across models. Beyond total pronoun count, SE was positively associated with Global Cognitive Function and LE negatively with Executive Function; both survived FDR correction. Conclusions: Pronoun use in SSD and familial groups may differ selectively at the level of specific grammatical forms, rather than following a single group-specific profile. ME and YO showed distinct patterns in parents and TE was reduced in patients, while SE and LE were associated with cognition beyond total pronoun use; only LE showed both group- and cognition-related differences in primary analyses. Fine-grained pronoun analysis may help refine language-based markers of cognition and familial vulnerability in SSD.

Files

Categories

Linguistics, Schizophrenia, Natural Language Processing, Cognition

Funders

Licence