Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 16, 2025
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Exploring the Pathways Between Early Auditory Processing, Processing Speed, Social Cognition, and Negative Symptoms
Ricardo E Carrión1, Majnu John2, Sarah Dorvil3
1Northwell, New Hyde Park, New York; Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York.
Background:
Social functioning difficulties in adolescents and young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) are among the strongest risk factors for psychosis onset. Recent research in patients with schizophrenia has demonstrated complex relationships between early auditory processing deficits as measured by the mismatch negativity (MMN) response of the auditory event-related potential, neurocognition, social cognition, negative symptoms, and social functioning. However, the interrelationships of these variables and associations with social functioning impairments prior to the onset of the illness are unclear. The present study used a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to integrate these factors to determine the specific determinants that lead to poor social functioning in CHR-P youth.
Methods:
A total of 518 CHR-P individuals from the NAPLS2 (North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study) were used to evaluate SEMs with pathways starting from MMN to social functioning. The intervening variables included processing speed, social cognition, and negative symptoms.
Results:
A final trimmed model revealed that early auditory processing (MMN) had a direct effect on processing speed, and both processing speed and negative symptoms had direct effects on social functioning. The direct effect from social cognition to social functioning was not significant.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that neurophysiological deficits are associated with social functioning by way of processing speed impairments, which fully accounted for the relationship in CHR-P youths prior to psychosis onset. These results may have implications for early intervention strategies that target early information-processing deficits with the aim of improving social trajectories and limiting psychosis onset in young CHR-P individuals.
More Related Videos
05:52Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
13:08Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Related Concept Videos
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
01:27Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
01:17Schizophrenia
01:19Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.