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Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Self-reported empathy deficits are uniquely associated with poor functioning in schizophrenia.
Matthew J Smith1, William P Horan, Tatiana M Karpouzian
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. matthewsmith@northwestern.edu
Schizophrenia Research
|February 11, 2012
Summary
Impaired perspective-taking in schizophrenia is linked to poor daily functioning, independent of cognitive and symptom severity. Enhancing empathy may aid recovery and improve real-world performance in individuals with schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Social cognitive deficits, including impaired empathy, are implicated in poor functional outcomes in schizophrenia.
- Empathy, crucial for social cognition, is often found to be impaired in schizophrenia.
- This study investigates the association between self-reported empathy deficits and functional outcomes in schizophrenia, beyond neurocognitive and psychopathological factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between self-reported empathy and functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia.
- To determine if empathy impairments predict functional capacity and community functioning independently of neurocognition and psychopathology.
Main Methods:
- Schizophrenia patients (n=46) and healthy controls (n=37) completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) for empathy assessment.
- Participants underwent neuropsychological testing, psychopathology ratings, and functional outcome assessments.
- Regression analyses were used to assess the predictive value of empathy on functioning.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients reported lower perspective-taking and empathic concern, and higher personal distress than controls.
- Lower perspective-taking, disorganized symptoms, and memory deficits correlated with poorer functional capacity and community functioning.
- Perspective-taking significantly predicted functional capacity and community functioning, even after controlling for neurocognitive and psychopathological variables.
Conclusions:
- Impaired perspective-taking, a facet of cognitive empathy, is significantly associated with poor functioning in schizophrenia.
- These findings highlight the importance of empathy in functional recovery and suggest potential therapeutic targets.
- Further research into the causes of empathic disturbances may inform treatments aimed at improving functional outcomes in schizophrenia.
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