Self-face recognition in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Altered self-awareness might be a core feature of schizophrenia. Facial self-recognition in children and non-human primates has been linked to the emergence of self-awareness. In this study, the ability to recognize the own face as an indicator of certain aspects of self-awareness was investigated in patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Standardized facial pictures of the participants (20 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls), of close same-sex relatives of the participants and of unknown persons were taken. These stimuli were presented on a computer screen serially in three forced choice identity recognition experiments: facial identities were presented (I) for 5 s centrally on the screen; (II) in the participants' left and right visual hemifields for 100 ms; (III) as morphed blendings between the identities, centrally for 5 s.


RESULTS
There was no interaction between group and facial identity in experiments I and III. However, in experiment II an interaction between hemifield and identity emerged in the patients (p=.002). They exhibited higher error rates for their own face presented to the right hemifield (p=.003), whereas there was no effect for the control subjects. Additionally, self-face recognition (reaction time in experiment I; p=.0009 and error rates in II; p=.0006) was related to hallucinations in the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the notion of a specific self-face processing dysfunction in schizophrenia. This might be related to altered self-awareness in schizophrenia.
Kircher
Tilo T
TT
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany. tkircher@ukaachen.de
Seiferth
Nina Y
NY
Plewnia
Christian
C
Baar
Sophia
S
Schwabe
Rainer
R
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012649:Self Concept; D014794:Visual Fields; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology