A correlation study of humor experience and theory of mind in schizophrenia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore humor experience and its relationship with theory of mind in patients with schizophrenia. Methods sixty?one schizophrenic patients without treatment and sixty?three healthy subjects were assessed with the Humor Picture Test ( HPT) ,Humor Video Test ( HVT) and the Theory?of?Mind Picture?Se?quencing Task ( ToM?PST) . Results Compared with healthy subject in HPT,schizophrenic patients showed sig?nificantly higher non?humor picture rating score (24.41 ± 8.82 vs 28.41 ± 11.56, P<0.05),and less humor picture rating score (45.65 ± 11.49 vs 34.41 ± 13.06, P<0.05). Compared with healthy subject in HVT,schizophrenic patients also showed significantly less humor video rating score (3.56 ± 0.57 vs 2.46 ± 0.79, P<0.01) and the number of standard humorous moments (3.68 ± 1.19 vs 2.42 ± 1.40, P<0.01) and the sensitivity of standard hu?morous moments?d’(humor) score (1.11 ± 0.46 vs 0.47 ± 0.42, P<0.01). Schizophrenic patients had significant?ly less total score (39.89 ± 12.33 vs 58.76 ± 0.64, P<0.01) of ToM?PST compared to normal control. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between d’ ( humor) score and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ( PANSS) total score ( r=-0.380, P<0.01) for the patients. There was significantly negative correlation between non?humor picture rating score and ToM?PST total score ( r=-0.316, P<0.05) ,and positive correlation between d’ (humor) score and ToM?PST total score ( r=0.400, P<0.01) in schizophrenic patient. After controlling for the PANSS total score,the correlation between d’(humor) score and ToM?PST total score remained significant. Conclusion Schizophrenic patients have poor humor experience,which is related to the impairments of theory of mind.Humor experience deficit may share a common neuropsychological base with the impairment of theory of mind.