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The effects of psychoactive drugs and neuroleptics on language in normal subjects and schizophrenic patients: a review

F. Salomé, P Boyer, Michel Fayol

European Psychiatry December 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(00)00520-4 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review Peer reviewed
Interventions alcohol amphetamines secobarbital L-dopa psilocybin ketamine fenfluramine
Topics Ketamine Psilocybin
Keywords Amphetamine Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Thought disorder Fenfluramine Secobarbital Psychopharmacology Psychosis Hallucinogen Clinical psychology Anesthesia Dopamine
Citations 21
Key findings Conventional neuroleptics reduce language disorders in schizophrenia, while different psychoactive drugs variably increase, focus, unfocus, or impair language in healthy subjects.

Abstract

The aim of this survey is to present an overview of research into psychopharmacology as regards the effects of different psychoactive drugs and neuroleptics (NL) on language in normal subjects and schizophrenic patients. Eighteen studies that have investigated the effects of different drugs (alcohol, amphetamines, secobarbital, L-dopa, psilocybin, ketamine, fenfluramine) and neuroleptics (conventional and atypical) on language are reviewed. There are no studies concerning the effects of neuroleptics on language in healthy subjects. The results of the effects of other molecules indicate that language production can be increased (alcohol, amphetamine, secobarbital), rendered more complex (d-amphetamine), more focused (L-dopa) or more unfocused (psilocybin) and clearly impaired (ketamine). For schizophrenic patients, most studies show that conventional neuroleptic treatments, at a therapeutic dosage and in acute or chronic mode, reduce language disorders at all levels (clinic, linguistic, psycholinguistic). In conjunction with other molecules, the classical NL, when administered at a moderate dosage and in chronic mode, modify language in schizophrenia, either by improving the verbal flow and reducing pauses and positive thought disorder (NL + amphetamine) or by inducing an impairment in the language measurements (NL + fenfluramine). Clinical, methodological and theoretical considerations of results are debated in the framework of schizophrenic language disorders.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on psilocybin, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Patients with cancer- or illness-related anxiety and depression, major depressive... 2020 Systematic review n = 188
Blinding and expectancy confounds in psychedelic randomized controlled trials 2021 Systematic review
Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Patients from included clinical trials 2016 Systematic review
The experimental effects of psilocybin on symptoms of anxiety and depression: A meta-analysis People with elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression 2020 Meta-analysis n = 117
Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review Participants from included studies 2022 Systematic review

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Ketamine Psilocybin