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Social-Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia
1Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany. Daniela.Mier@zi-mannheim.de.
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
|January 6, 2016
Summary
Schizophrenia symptoms arise from the interaction between social brain dysfunction and dopamine dysregulation, not solely from cognitive or social-cognitive deficits alone. This interplay impacts how patients perceive others' emotions and intentions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Schizophrenia presents with psychotic, cognitive, and social functioning deficits.
- The relationship between cognitive and social-cognitive impairments in schizophrenia is poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review behavioral and functional imaging studies on social cognition in schizophrenia.
- To integrate findings on cognitive, motivational, and social-cognitive deficits within the dopamine hypothesis.
- To present a model explaining schizophrenia symptoms through the interplay of social brain function and dopaminergic activity.
Main Methods:
- Review of behavioral studies on social cognition in schizophrenia.
- Analysis of functional imaging studies in schizophrenia.
- Integration of findings with the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia.
Main Results:
- Disturbed "social brain" functioning in schizophrenia can lead to neglecting or misattributing others' emotions and intentions.
- Cognitive-motivational and social-cognitive deficits are interconnected.
- Aberrant dopaminergic firing is a key factor in the manifestation of symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Schizophrenia symptoms emerge from the combined effect of impaired social brain functioning and aberrant dopaminergic firing.
- Neither cognitive-motivational nor social-cognitive deficits independently cause schizophrenia.
- A comprehensive model integrating these factors explains core symptoms of schizophrenia.
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