Social cognitive markers of short-term clinical outcome in first-episode psychosis.
OBJECTIVE
In psychotic disorders, impairments in cognition have been associated with both clinical and functional outcome, while deficits in social cognition have been associated with functional outcome. As an extension to a recent report on neurocognition and short-term clinical outcome in first-episode psychosis (FEP), the current study explored whether social cognitive deficits could also identify poor short-term clinical outcome among FEP patients.


METHODS
We defined the social-cognition domain based on the scores from the Hinting Task and the Four Factor Tests of Social Intelligence. Data were collected in 45 FEP patients and 26 healthy controls. The patients were divided into good- and poor-outcome groups based on clinical data at six months following initiation of treatment. Social cognition was compared among 27 poor-outcome, 18 good-outcome, and 26 healthy-control participants.


RESULTS
Outcome groups significantly differed in the social cognition domain (z-scores: poor outcome=-2.0 [SD=1.4]; good outcome=-1.0 [SD=1.0]; p=0.005), with both groups scoring significantly lower than the control group (p<0.003). Moreover, outcome groups differed significantly only on the Cartoon Predictions subtest (z-scores: poor outcome=-2.7 [SD=2.7]; good outcome=-0.7 [SD=1.8]; p=0.001) among the five subtests used.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, social cognition appears to be compromised in all FEP patients compared to healthy controls. More interestingly, significant differences in social cognitive impairments exist between good and poor short-term clinical outcome groups, with the largest effect found in the Cartoon Predictions subtest.
Montreuil
Tina
T
Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP-Montreal), Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada.
Bodnar
Michael
M
Bertrand
Marie-Claude
MC
Malla
Ashok K
AK
Joober
Ridha
R
Lepage
Martin
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018187:Personal Construct Theory; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs