ALLOGY: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, TREATMENT - ECONOMÍA - 2024

The Alogia is a term that refers to a lack of spontaneous language when speaking. It usually appears as one of the main symptoms of schizophrenia; and in this context, it is classified within the negative symptoms. Among other drawbacks, it makes the normal development of psychotherapy very difficult.

In general, allogia is considered a form of aphasia; this term refers to any impediment for a person to express themselves adequately. As such, it can occur due to brain problems, mental retardation, or dementia.

Source: pixabay.com

Some authors also associate the allegiance with problems such as autism or Asperger's syndrome; in these cases, it would be a type of aphasia produced at the behavioral level.

Finally, sometimes it can also appear as a simple response from the person to avoid uncomfortable questions, although in this case it would not be a pathology.

Aphasia makes social relationships very difficult for the person and any form of psychological help that they want to be administered. In this article we will study why it occurs, what are the characteristics, and if there is any way in which this phenomenon can be combatted.

Symptoms and characteristics

Lack of spontaneous language

The main symptom of alogy, or at least the easiest to observe, is an impoverishment of spoken language. However, what does this translate into specifically?

A person presenting an eulogy will only use the fewest words necessary to answer a question that is asked. Also, you will tend not to start conversations spontaneously; and it will hardly give information when interacting with others.

To better understand how the speech of a person with allegiance differs from that of a healthy individual, we will often see two examples of conversation simulating what would happen in each of the two cases.

Example 1: Normal person

- Question: Do you have children?

- Answer: Yes, a boy and a girl. Their names are Pedro and Alicia.

- Question: How old are they?

- Answer: Pedro is fifteen, and Alicia is about to turn twelve.

Example 2: Person with alogy

- Question: Do you have children?

- Answer: Yes.

- Question: How many?

- Answer: Two.

- Question: How old are they?

- Answer: Eleven fifteen.

- Question: Are they boys or girls?

- Answer: One of each.

(Etc.)

As you can see, it would appear as if the person suffering from allergy is reluctant to provide more information than is strictly necessary to answer the questions. However, patients with this problem usually do not do it consciously.

Thought disorganization

Although the main observable symptom in the alogy is the lack of spontaneous language, the real change occurs at the mental level.

When a person suffers from this problem, it is very difficult for him to organize his thoughts; These are no longer coherent and no longer follow a concrete or logical order.

Therefore, the patient will have great difficulty expressing his ideas, and will not understand the nuances of other people's language. This is the main cause of his lack of spontaneous language; after all, speech is a reflection of what is going on inside an individual's mind.

Difficulty understanding symbolic language

A person with praise, suddenly, will have a lot of trouble understanding all that content that is not literal. For example, it will be almost impossible to understand metaphors, ironies, or double meanings; Furthermore, he will be unable to produce them himself.

This causes their speech to become excessively literal; A problem that is added to all the others related to the spontaneous production of speech.

Errors in language

In addition to spontaneously producing less content and becoming extremely literal, people with alogy also often have problems with their own speech.

For example, these individuals tend to pronounce less clearly, to eliminate vowels and consonants, to stop mid-sentence, and to pause more than necessary.

Problems in everyday life

Communication is a fundamental element to lead a good existence. For this reason, people who have alogia tend to develop all kinds of problems in their life, especially in any area in which they have to interact with other people.

Thus, for example, the sentimental life of these individuals tends to impoverish rapidly. But in addition, they will have all kinds of problems at work, in their family life, and in general to carry out most daily tasks.

Causes

In general, it is considered that allogy can be produced in two different ways: by a dysfunction in the dopamine circuit, or by a lesion in certain areas of the brain. Next we will see an explanation of each of them.

Dopaminergic dysfunction

Dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the human body. It is one of the main pathways that the brain uses to regulate itself, and it is related to all kinds of functions.

In the case of alogia, the lack of the adequate amount of dopamine would cause the inability to inhibit, manage and link thinking.

In general, the regions most affected by the lack of dopamine in cases of allogia are those found in the mesocortical area. Normally, the cause of the problem is an inadequate synthesis of this substance, especially in cases where it is linked to schizophrenia.

Lack of dopamine can be caused by both genetic and lifestyle factors. As in the case of schizophrenia, it is considered that there is no single explanation for its appearance; on the contrary, it is often said that it is a multicausal problem.

Brain injuries

The first historically recorded cases of allogy were not caused by a lack of dopamine; instead, they were caused by damage to certain areas of the brain.

The best known are the Wernicke area and the Broca area, two of the most linked to language, but there are many more that may be involved.

Thus, for example, the mesocortical area can also produce allograft if it suffers any injury. The parts of it most commonly damaged in these cases are the connection between the frontal lobe and the basal ganglia, or certain areas of the temporal lobe.

In general, these brain injuries appear due to problems such as heart attacks or strokes. However, on some occasions they can also occur after a head injury or the abuse of certain substances.

Pathophysiology

The alogy does not cause any damage on a physical level beyond the brain problems already mentioned. People who suffer from this problem usually retain full control of their speech and respiratory organs; the problem is that they cannot use them correctly due to psychological failures.

Therefore, in general, the allegiance is not treated from a physical point of view but a psychological one. Even so, today the possibility of regenerating the areas of the brain that are damaged after suffering certain problems is being studied. This could go a long way toward advancing the cure for this disorder.

Comorbidity

When not caused by a stroke, allogy usually presents exclusively as a symptom of certain types of schizophrenia. This mental disorder is one of the most complex that exists; and as such, people who suffer from it can present all kinds of problems.

In general, schizophrenia produces two types of symptoms, positive and negative; the alogia would be part of this second group. Sometimes cognitive symptoms are also spoken of. Next we will briefly see what each of them consists of.

Positive symptoms

This term refers to all those problems caused by schizophrenia that have to do with an increase in certain characteristics of the person or with the addition of features that were not previously present.

Its name is misleading, as it is not at all about symptoms that have benign consequences for the person. On the contrary, they tend to be the most dangerous of all those that occur in this disease.

Thus, among others, the positive symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, paranoia, exaggerated increases in energy and self-confidence, delusions, extreme agitation, or disorganized thinking.

In general, these symptoms are the first that psychologists should treat, since they can lead the person to perform all kinds of actions that endanger their life. Especially worrisome are delusions of grandeur or hallucinations, which often make the individual feel tremendously bad.

Negative symptoms

Unlike the previous ones, the negative symptoms of schizophrenia would have to do with an impoverishment or flattening of certain characteristics of the patient.

They are not as dangerous as the positive ones, but they can still present many problems for the normal development of the individual's life.

Among other things, the person may experience emotional flattening, lack of initiative or energy, depression, social isolation, and language difficulties. It is precisely in this last group that allogy would be included, although there are more versions of speech problems related to schizophrenia.

Cognitive symptoms

In addition to all of the above, the person with schizophrenia may also begin to suffer from memory problems, inattention, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest in his surroundings.

As you can see, allergy is a serious problem; but it is much more so if we take into account all the other phenomena that usually occur at the same time as it.

Treatment

Alogia can be treated in two main ways: using behavioral therapy, and using drugs. However, the first approach is usually not sufficient on its own, so both tend to be applied at the same time to maximize the patient's chances of improvement.

In recent times, certain types of brain therapy are also being experimented with to regenerate damaged mental functions. However, these treatments are still in the experimental phase.

Pharmacotherapy

Because it is often related to schizophrenia, allergy is usually treated using specific drugs to alleviate the effects of this mental disorder.

Thus, among other things, mood stabilizers such as lithium, or medicines that alleviate some of the symptoms of the disease can be used.

In addition to this, it is possible to find some psychotropic drugs that act directly on the allergy or on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia in general. However, their effectiveness has not yet been fully proven, and in general they are still in the experimental phase.

One of the most controversial types of medication that can be used to alleviate the symptoms of allergy is amphetamines. These tend to soften or eliminate the negative symptoms of schizophrenia; however, using them can greatly aggravate the positives. Therefore, it is necessary to use them with care.

Behavioral therapy

Once the more complicated symptoms of alogia and schizophrenia have been controlled, it is possible to use speech therapy and psychotherapy techniques to teach the person to add coherence to their speech again. However, this process can be extremely time consuming and complex.

Still, patients with allogia can develop normal speech with enough time and effort.

Brain therapy

As previously indicated, on some occasions the allogy occurs due to certain lesions in various areas of the brain; in addition to deficiencies in the dopamine circuit. So some researchers are trying to find out how these injuries can be removed directly.

Thus, for example, research is being done on the use of stem cells to regenerate damaged brain areas in cases of stroke or heart attack. They are also trying to use more and more techniques that stimulate neurogenesis, that is, the formation of new neurons spontaneously.

Finally, some experimenters believe that it is possible to take advantage of the plasticity of the brain so that areas that have not been damaged are able to perform the functions of those that no longer serve. So far there have been many advances in this regard, but there is still much research to be done.

References

1. "Praise: when language and thought stop flowing" in: Psychology and Mind. Retrieved on: July 14, 2018 from Psychology and Mind: psicologiaymente.com.
2. "Meaning of alogia" in: Psychotherapists. Retrieved on: July 14, 2018 from Psychotherapists: psicoterapeutas.eu.
3. "Symptoms of schizophrenia" in: Schizophrenia 24 × 7. Retrieved on: July 14, 2018 from Schizophrenia 24 × 7: schizophrenia24x7.com.
4. "Alogia" in: Psychiatry. Retrieved on: July 14, 2018 from Psychiatry: psiquiatria.com.
5. "Alogia" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: July 14, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.