title: Autonomic nervous system activation during social cognition tasks in patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected relatives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to determine whether patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected first-degree relatives have abnormal autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses to social cognition tasks.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Social cognition impairments are significant in schizophrenia. ANS activity has been shown to be abnormal in schizophrenia patients, and some of the abnormalities seem to be shared by patients' unaffected relatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured at rest and during social cognition tasks, in patients with schizophrenia, their nonpsychotic first-degree relatives, and matched healthy controls (n=19 in each group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Social cognition tasks induced a shortening of the RR interval in unaffected relatives, but not in patients. Social cognition tasks generated decreases in high-frequency (indicating cardiac vagal activity) and low-frequency (reflecting predominantly sympathetic activity) HRV in patients. In relatives, the decrease occurred in the high-frequency component only. Low-frequency HRV was higher in patients during a theory of mind task than a control task. These changes were not observed in the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social cognitive tasks induce a pattern of peripheral autonomic activity different from that seen in generic arousal responses, and this pattern is abnormal in schizophrenia patients. Autonomic abnormalities in unaffected first-degree relatives seem restricted to the parasympathetic division of the ANS.
authors: Fundación Lucha contra Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Oscar Ignacio
authors: OI
authors: Jáuregui
authors: Elsa Y
authors: EY
authors: Costanzo
authors: Delfina
authors: D
authors: de Achával
authors: Mirta F
authors: MF
authors: Villarreal
authors: Elvina
authors: E
authors: Chu
authors: Martina C
authors: MC
authors: Mora
authors: Daniel E
authors: DE
authors: Vigo
authors: Mariana N
authors: MN
authors: Castro
authors: Ramón C
authors: RC
authors: Leiguarda
authors: Karl-Jürgen
authors: KJ
authors: Bär
authors: Salvador M
authors: SM
authors: Guinjoan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology