DISORDERS OF THOUGHT

GROUP 4 PRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION
Thought generally refers to any mental or intellectual
activity involving an individuals subjective
consciousness.
Most available information about thinking comes from
the study of language as it reflects thought
A great deal of thinking takes place preverbally
Thinking occurs in images, music, and in symbols other
than linguistic ones
INTRODUCTION
Human thought takes place in a multitask fashion
Various processes working simultaneously and in
parallel to assess, solve problems, and contribute in all
ways to thought
INTRODUCTION
Thinking also refers to language-associated thought in
which the sequence of time is appreciated, statements
are causally linked and clearly delineated with deductive
rules of logic.
Disorders of thought includes disorders of:
stream of thinking
form of thinking
content of thinking
coherence of thinking
 Disorders of stream of
thought
They are divided into two groups:
i. Disorders of the thought tempo (speed)
-Flight of ideas
-circumstantiality

ii. Disorders of continuity

-Perseveration
-Thought blocking
Flight of ideas
Thoughts follow each other rapidly in such a way that before one thought is
formulated into words another forces its way forward.

It can be compared to a game of dominoes whereby a half of first piece played

determines one half of next piece to be played.

It can occur in the following conditions

i. Schizophrenia
ii.Organic states example; dementia

Example :A manic patient was asked where she lived.

The patient: Birmingham, Kingstanding; see the king is standing, king, king, sing,
sing, bird on the wing, wing on the bird , bird, turd, turd.
Circumstantiality
In this disorder, thinking proceeds slowly with many
unnecessary details. But the point is ultimately
reached.
Thinking proceeds in an intricate and convoluted path.
The goal of thinking is never completely lost.
Example: When asked about the age of a persons
mother at death, the speaker responds by talking at
length about accidents, then eventually says what the
mothers age was at the death.
Perseveration
It happens when mental operations persist beyond the point at which
they are relevant and thus prevent the progress of thinking.
Example:
Qn: What is the name of the previous prime
minister?
Ans: John Major
Qn: What is the name of the present prime
minister?
Ans: John Major. No, I mean John Major.
It is common in the organic disorders of the brain.
Thought blocking
A sudden arrest of a train of thoughts.
A completely new thought may then begin.
It may occur in the following conditions:
i. Schizophrenia
ii. Anxiety.
Disorders of coherence
Word salad
-is a disorder in which the meaningful connection
between the words is completely lost.
Example:
- dogs sleep pencils chicken trees.
-Nose eating flowers shoes
Disorder of thought basing on content
Delusion; fixed false beliefs, strongly held and
immutable in the face of refuting evidence
Delusion are not seen only in isolated individuals, but
shared delusion may occur in couples and in families
The content of delusion is highly influenced by culture
A very common example is that which occur between
couples, one having a belief that the other one is not
faithful.
Classification of delusion
Delusions can be divided into
Primary and
Secondary

PRIMARY DELUSION
New meaning arises in the connection with
some other psychological events.
-Ultimately un-understandable
-diagnostic of schizophrenia
-May occur in epileptic psychosis
Types of primary delusion

Delusional mood
o Person has the knowledge that there is something
going on around him which concerns him but does not
know what its.
Delusional perception
o Normal percept is interpreted with delusional
meaning
o Example, a person sees a red car and knows that this
means their food is being poisoned by the police.
Sudden delusional ideas
o Delusion appears fully formed in the persons mind
o Eg person says that he is of royal descent because
when he was taken to a military parade as a little boy
the king saluted him.
.
SECONDARY DELUSIONS
-Those that arise from some other morbid experience.
-Can be understood from the persons
cultural/emotional
background.
-Often transient
-can occur in schizophrenia , other psychotic
conditions
Classification of delusions by content
Delusion can also be divided based on
the content
Delusions of reference
Delusions of persecution
Grandiose delusion
Delusions of guilt (false feeling of remorse
or guilt)
Hypochondriacal delusions
Delusions of love (erotomania, de
clarambault syndrome)
Delusions of infidelity (Othello syndrome)
Nihilistic delusions (contard syndrome)
Delusions of doubles (capgras syndrome)
Shared delusions (folie a deux)
Delusion of reference

It is a false belief that a patient knows that people are

talking about him

Delusion of persecution:
A person believes that people want to harm him.
Loved ones are about to be harmed
People wants to poison him
Some force wants to influence him: demonical possession,
radio waves, atomic rays...
.

Delusion of infidelity/jealousy:
Often the patient has been suspicious, sensitive
and mildly jealous before the onset of the
illness. Eg: delusion of marital infedility.
Delusion of love:
Convinced that a certain person is in love with
him/her although the alleged lover may never
have spoken him /her
Grandiose delusion:
-Is a fixed false belief that one possesses
superior qualities such as genius, fame,
omnipotence or wealth.
-Found in schizophrenia, dementia and psychotic
and bipolar
.
Delusion of guilt
-A feeling of guilt. Eg: A person may believe that he has committed a serious crime and
deserves to punished severely.
-A person becomes self-critical.

Delusion of ill-health
-A false belief whereby one is preoccupied by a fear of having or the idea that one has
a serious disease based on the personal interpretation of bodily symptoms.

Delusion of doubles
-A false belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes
appearance.
.

Delusion of infidelity/jealousy:
-Often the patient has been suspicious, sensitive
and mildly jealous before the onset of the illness.
Delusion of love:
-Convinced that some person is in loved with
them although the alleged lover may never have
spoken to them
Grandiose delusion:
-Conviction that one is specially important
Disorders of form of thought
Are disorders of conceptual thinking.
Disturbances in form are disturbances in the logical
process of thought or logical connection between ideas.
These include word incoherence, circumstantiality,
tangetiality, derailment
Tangentiality
It is a disorder in which a person wanders away from the
intended point, moving to areas that are less and less
relevant and never return to the original idea.
References
KAPLAN & SADOCKS SYNOPSIS OF PSYCHIATRY-11th
Edition
Fishs Clinical Psychopathology-3rd Edition
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