Study of faux pas recognition and belief understanding in early-onset schizophrenia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the cognitive function of the theory of mind(TOM) in early-onset schizophrenia from faux pas recognition and belief understanding dimensions.Methods 41 early-onset schizophrenias (EOS) and 40 normal adolescents were interviewed by the Chinese version of faux pas recognition task and theory of mind picture-sequencing task(ToM-PST),then early-onset schizophrenias cognitive features were analyzed.Results ①In faux pas recognition task,compared with healthy subjects,EOS showed significantly less total scores (16.11±6.34 vs 20.86±7.79,P＜0.05)and subscores of understanding faux pas questions (9.88±4.11 vs 13.27± 6.07,P＜0.05).In faux pas recognition scores(6.72±2.60vs 7.58±2.20) and control questions(9.83±0.44vs 9.97± 0.16) had no statistically significant difference (P＞0.05).②In ToM-PST task,early-onset schizophrenic patients also had significantly less total score(17.29±3.38 vs 21.48± 1.73,P＜0.01),subscores of understanding first order belief,first order error belief,second order belief,second order error belief,third order error belief,sense of reality,reciprocity,fraud,detecting fraud compared to normal controls had significant difference (all P＜ 0.05 or 0.01).③ The correlation between clinical course time and PANSS score and its subscores of the theory of mind picture-sequencing and faux pas task was non-significant(P＞0.05)except the subscores of understanding the first order belief (P＜0.01).Conclusion The theory of mind is apparent damage in early onset schizophrenia and non-significant correlation is found with psychiatric symptoms.