The relationship between psychopathology and speech and language disorders in neurologic patients

Depression, anxiety, and conversion reaction are common in neurologic patients. These disorders can produce neurologic-like symptoms that either mask or intensify those produced by the neurologic disease. This paper reviews clinical and research findings relating psychopathology to the formation and remediation of speech and language disorders in neurologic patients. The need to consider the psychosocial and psychopathological aspects of neurologic communicative disorders, and the link between emotional and communicative processes, are emphasized. Diagnostic criteria for the identification of psychogenic communicative disorders are outlined.