Language Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: Assessing Neural Tracking to Characterize the Underlying Disorder(s)?

Abstract

Deficits in language production and comprehension are characteristic of schizophrenia. To date, it remains unclear whether these deficits arise from dysfunctional linguistic knowledge, or dysfunctional predictions derived from the linguistic context. Alternatively, the deficits could be a result of dysfunctional neural tracking of auditory information resulting in decreased auditory information fidelity and even distorted information. Here, we discuss possible ways for clinical neuroscientists to employ neural tracking methodology to independently characterize deficiencies on the auditory–sensory and abstract linguistic levels. This might lead to a mechanistic understanding of the deficits underlying language related disorder(s) in schizophrenia. We propose to combine naturalistic stimulation, measures of speech–brain synchronization, and computational modeling of abstract linguistic knowledge and predictions. These independent but likely interacting assessments may be exploited for an objective and differential diagnosis of schizophrenia, as well as a better understanding of the disorder on the functional level—illustrating the potential of neural tracking methodology as translational tool in a range of psychotic populations.