Relationship between eye expression recognition and social functioning in patients with schizophrenia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare eye expression recognition in stable outpatients with schizophrenia with that in normal controls and to explore the relationships between eye expression recognition and social functioning.Methods 107 schizophrenic outpatients and 66 normal controls matched in age,sex and years of education were assessed with Eye Basic Emotion Discrimination Task(EBEDT) and Eye Complex Emotion Discrimination Task(ECEDT).The patients were also assessed with Social Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS).Results The correct numbers were significantly lower for patients to identify basic emotions of eye expressions(13.2±3.8 vs16.0±2.6,P<0.01) and complex emotions of eye expressions(17.9±4.3 vs 20.6±3.5,P<0.01)than those for controls respectively;the correct numbers to identify anger(3.1±1.0 vs.2.1±1.2,P<0.01),fear(1.8±1.0 vs 1.3±1.0,P<0.01) and disgust(1.8±1.1 vs 1.4±1.2,P<0.05)for controls were higher than those for patients significantly.The correct numbers to identify total basic emotions(r=-0.335,P<0.05)and total complex emotions (r=-0.374,P<0.05)in eye expressions showed negatively correlated with the total scores of SDSS in the patients after controlling age and total score of PANSS.Conclusions The ability to recognize basic and complicated emotions in eye expressions in the outpatients with schizophrenia is lower than that in the controls. It shows positively correlated with social functioning moderately in the patients.