Abstract
Objective:
In this paper, researches on formal thought disorders, which have been considered to be related with underlying pathology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders and their evaluation will be reviewed in children.
Method:
A medline and Turkish Medical Index search was conducted to review the articles about this topic.
Results:
Evaluation of formal thought disorders in children is quite different from adults and they might not be recognized during routine psychiatric examination. Thus, Kiddie Formal Thought Disorder Rating Scale, which is both a reliable and a valid scale measuring formal thought disorders in children between ages 8-12 years, have been developed by Caplan et al. This scale has been used in most of the studies about formal thought disorders in children. In these studies formal thought disorders has also been detected in neuropsychiatric disorders other than schizophrenia, like complex partial epilepsy, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and schizotypal personality disorder, but with a quite different appearance. Also, cognitive and neurobiological components offormal thought disorders has been studied.
Discussion:
In Turkey, there are no studies on formal thought disorders in children, therefore development of the Turkish version of this scale would be an important step for conducting such studies in our country.
Keywords: Formal thought disorders, child, schizophrenia
