Emotion antecedents in schizophrenia.
Emotion antecedents are defined as external or internal events that cause emotions in individuals. Their study brings us insight into individuals' emotion processing. Emotion antecedents have rarely been studied in schizophrenia. Thirty individuals with schizophrenia and 30 non-patient comparison subjects, matched by gender and age, related events when they felt extremely angry, disgusted, fearful, happy, sad and surprised. Each antecedent was summarized in a written sentence and 20 judges matched the antecedent with the correct emotion. The antecedents of individuals with schizophrenia were less frequently matched with their emotion than the antecedents of non-patient comparison subjects for all emotions. Moreover, error pattern analyses revealed distinct deficits for the emotion "fear". In the schizophrenia group, fear antecedents were more frequently judged as non-emotional, and non-fear antecedents were more often judged as fear antecedents when compared to the control group. A deficit in fear processing correlated with the Suspiciousness item on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Our results indicate differences in emotion processing in schizophrenia. Error pattern results are consistent with impairment in the appraisal of fear. Lower accuracy rates with schizophrenia subjects' antecedents may reflect lower emotion awareness for all emotions in schizophrenia. This study furthers the understanding of deficits in basic emotion processing in schizophrenia.
Trémeau
Fabien
F
Clinical Research and Evaluation Facility, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research and Rockland Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA. Ftremeau@NKI.RFMH.ORG
Antonius
Daniel
D
Goggin
Michelle
M
Czobor
Pál
P
Butler
Pamela
P
Malaspina
Dolores
D
Gorman
Jack M
JM
D000328:Adult; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D035061:Control Groups; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult