title: Theory of mind, social development, and psychosis.
abstract: The difficulty in interpreting other people's mental states found in children with autism and in people affected by schizophrenia may be explained in terms of a unique mental process called Theory of Mind. The paper discusses the main operational issues of such a peculiar aspect of social cognition, the Theory of Mind, and its implication in schizophrenia, including a review of its related neural structures. Theory of Mind abilities may be a relevant aspect of social interaction involving people affected by schizophrenia, and they need to be further investigated in clinical research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of L'Aquila, Blocco 11, Via Vetoio, Coppito, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy. massimo.casacchia@cc.univaq.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casacchia
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roncone
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D010553:Personality Development; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012938:Social Perception; D013850:Thinking