Clustering and Switching Strategies During the Semantic Fluency Task in Men with Frontal Lobe Lesions and in Men with Schizophrenia

Differences in semantic clustering and switching were examined in men with frontal lobe lesions, men with schizophrenia and healthy men. Men with frontal lobe lesions and men with schizophrenia generated fewer words than healthy men and presented intact clustering, but decreased switching during the semantic fluency task. However, after controlling for the number of words produced, between-group differences in switching disappeared. These findings suggest that all three groups used similar strategies of clustering and switching during the semantic fluency task, although men with frontal lobe lesions and men with schizophrenia did it less efficiently than healthy men.