title: Neurophysiological correlates of impaired facial affect recognition in individuals at risk for schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Impairments in facial affect recognition are well documented in individuals suffering from schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to characterize potential impairments in affect recognition and their electrophysiological correlates in at-risk individuals. Such characterization should add to the question whether the neural processes underlying facial affect recognition deficits might be part of a basic neural dysfunction reflecting a vulnerability factor of schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test facial affect recognition, a digitized series of pictures of facial affect, previously used in related studies, was presented to 37 at-risk individuals and 32 healthy controls. Simultaneously, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to investigate electrophysiological activity during the task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At-risk individuals showed significant impairments in facial affect recognition and reduced amplitudes in the ERP components P100, N170, and N250. Furthermore, prodromal signs in these individuals were associated with a poorer task performance and a diminished N250 amplitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that impairments in facial affect recognition precede the onset of the initial psychotic episode. The impairments are associated with neurophysiological abnormalities similar to those observed in manifest schizophrenia and therefore may serve as indicators of vulnerability for developing schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. woelwer@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wölwer
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brinkmeyer
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stroth
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Streit
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bechdolf
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruhrmann
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gaebel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult