Is there a link between clanging and schizophrenia Health ConditionsHealth ConditionsAlzheimer's & DementiaAnxietyArthritisAsthma & AllergiesBreast CancerCancerCardiovascular HealthCOVID-19Dermatology & SkincareDiabetesEnvironment & SustainabilityExercise & FitnessEye HealthHeadache & MigraineHealth EquityHIV & AIDSHuman BiologyInflammatory Bowel DiseaseLeukemiaLGBTQIA+Men's HealthMental HealthMultiple Sclerosis (MS)NutritionParkinson's DiseasePsoriasisSexual HealthWomen's HealthDiscoverNewsLatest NewsOriginal SeriesMedical MythsHonest NutritionThrough My EyesNew Normal HealthPodcastsHow to understand chronic painWhat is behind vaccine hesitancy?The amazing story of hepatitis C, from discovery to cureNew directions in dementia researchCan psychedelics rewire a depressed, anxious brain?Why climate change matters for human healthToolsGeneral HealthDrugs A-ZHealth HubsHealth ToolsBMI Calculators and ChartsBlood Pressure Chart: Ranges and GuideBreast Cancer: Self-Examination GuideSleep CalculatorHealth ProductsAffordable Therapy OptionsBlood Pressure MonitorsDiabetic SuppliesFitness TrackersHome GymsGreen Cleaning ProductsHow to Shop for CBDQuizzesRA Myths vs FactsType 2 Diabetes: Managing Blood SugarAnkylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or FictionConnectAbout Medical News TodayWho We AreOur Editorial ProcessContent IntegrityConscious LanguageNewslettersSign UpFollow UsMedical News TodayHealth ConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribe Is there a link between clanging and schizophrenia Medically reviewed by Yalda Safai, MD, MPH — By Zawn Villines on July 29, 2022Clanging means that a person uses words together because of how they sound, regardless of whether the sentence makes sense. It can be a symptom of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia affects a person’s perceptions and behavior. This may present itself in speech, such as causing a person to speak very quickly or slowly, or otherwise finding it difficult to communicate in ways other people may find easier to understand. Changes and difficulty in speaking are common in schizophrenia, and healthcare professionals may use this symptom, along with others, to diagnose this condition. When a person displays clanging, they may string similarly sounding words together. These sentences may not make sense. This article discusses what clanging is, how people with schizophrenia may experience clanging, other conditions that may display clanging, and when to contact a doctor. What is clanging Clanging means that a person chooses words based on their sound associations rather than their meaning. People may sound as if they are rapping, rhyming, or reciting a list of words rather than typical speech patterns. Some examples of clanging include:repeating rhyming wordsrepeating puns or overusing punsrepeating words that share certain features, such as alliteration Clanging may appear alongside other language issues, such as: pressured speech, which is when a person speaks suddenly, rapidly, or erraticallyincoherent speech, which is when a person makes up words, uses non-words, or communicates in atypical waysecholalia, which is when a person repeats back all or a portion of what someone else says poverty of speech, which is when a person does not speak enough to provide information or answer a question Clanging in schizophrenia Schizophrenia causes formal thought disorders. A formal thought disorder is a condition that affects the way a person communicates and expresses themselves. Doctors view formal thought disorders as a sign of psychosis, which is a symptom of schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia commonly experience things others do not, including delusions and hallucinations. These experiences may alter their thinking, causing non-typical or harmful thoughts. Schizophrenia may also cause people to have changes in their ability to have insight into their own behavior or into others’ thoughts and feelings. All of these symptoms can affect the way a person expresses themselves. A person may not notice that they are communicating in non-typical ways and may not realize that others may perceive these communications as unusual. Additionally, people may find that cognitive changes make expressing themselves more difficult. Clanging is a sign of a thought disorder. A 2020 study emphasizes that language changes are common in schizophrenia. Comparing 26 people with schizophrenia to 22 people without this condition, the researchers of the above study were correctly able to diagnose 89% of participants with schizophrenia by monitoring for language changes. The researchers also found that language changes have an association with negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms include not feeling motivated or finding it difficult to feel pleasure. Other disorders linked to clanging Other conditions that cause thought changes might also cause clanging. For example, a 2021 study found that clanging, excessive speech, and distractible speech were common among people with cannabis-induced psychosis. Any diagnosis that affects the way a person thinks may also cause clanging. Some other examples include: bipolar disorderanxietysubstance use disordersubstance-induced psychosisdepression When to contact a doctor Schizophrenia is a medical condition that requires treatment. Medical remedies can help reduce symptoms and improve a person’s quality of life. Research suggests that early treatment may help improve the management of this condition. People should contact a doctor as soon as possible if they experience any symptoms of schizophrenia, such as:hallucinationsdelusionsdisorganized speechdisorganized or catatonic symptomsnegative symptoms, such as feeling less or absent emotions Summary Schizophrenia is a medical condition that causes psychosis. Symptoms of this condition may include thought disorders that affect the way a person communicates, such as clanging. Clanging is a language disorder where a person uses words together that do not necessarily make a coherent sentence. Some people may use rhyming words, alliterations, or puns. Seeking early treatment for schizophrenia may reduce the impact symptoms have on a person’s life. Doctors can work with people to identify the right medication. Healthcare professionals may also recommend other therapies alongside antipsychotic medication to provide a more holistic approach to condition management. Last medically reviewed on July 29, 2022Mental HealthSchizophrenia 7 sourcescollapsedMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.de Boer, J. N., et al. (2020). Language in schizophrenia: relation with diagnosis, symptomatology and white matter tracts. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41537-020-0099-3Goff, D. C., et al. (2020). Does early intervention improve the long-term course of schizophrenia? https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20020111Hany, M., et al. (2021). Schizophrenia. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539864/Huang, Y-J., et al. (2021). Assessing schizophrenia patients through linguistic and acoustic features using deep learning techniques [Abstract]. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9745530Just, S., et al. (2019). Coherence models in schizophrenia. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333648822_Coherence_Models_in_SchizophreniaMendez, M. F. (2018). Non-neurogenic language disorders: a preliminary classification. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5748000/Padhi, D., et al. (2021). Sociodemographic and clinical profile of cannabis-induced psychosis: A comparative study.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8611598/FEEDBACK:Medically reviewed by Yalda Safai, MD, MPH — By Zawn Villines on July 29, 2022 Latest newsWhat sets 'SuperAgers' apart? 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