Abstract
Language disturbance, often manifesting as formal thought disorder (FTD), is a prominent and debilitating feature of schizophrenia that profoundly affects thought processes, communication, and social functioning. Clarifying this impact helps readers understand the importance of these disturbances beyond clinical symptoms. Despite substantial research, uncertainty remains regarding whether language disturbances represent a primary symptom or a secondary consequence of broader cognitive deficits, and most evidence derives from Western, English-speaking populations, leaving a significant gap in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts, including South Asia and Pakistan. This comprehensive overview synthesises secondary data from clinical, linguistic, neurobiological, and computational studies to explore the interplay between language impairment, thought disorder, and brain dysfunction in schizophrenia. Findings indicate that language disturbances are a core, enduring feature of the disorder, with semantic impairments predominating over syntactic ones. Automated linguistic analyses show promise as objective supportive tools for early detection and clinical assessment, though further validation is needed. The review underscores the need for longitudinal, culturally inclusive research, highlighting that such efforts are essential for improving diagnosis, intervention, and AI-assisted language biomarkers, especially in under-researched populations. Your contributions are crucial for advancing equitable mental health care worldwide.