title: Theory of mind deficits in patients with esophageal cancer combined with depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the two components of theory of mind (ToM) in patients with esophageal cancer combined with depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five patients with esophageal cancer combined with depression (depressed group) and 62 normal controls (control group) were assessed using reading the mind in the eyes test, faux pas task, verbal fluency test, digit span test and WAIS IQ test. The depressed group was divided into two subgroups including psychotic depressed (PD) group (32 cases) and nonpsychotic depressed (NPD) group (33 cases). The clinical symptoms of patients were assessed using Beck depression inventory version II and brief psychiatric reacting scale (BPRS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference between the depressed group and the control group on tasks involving ToM social perceptual components (mind reading: t = 7.39, P < 0.01) and tests involving ToM social cognitive components (faux pas questions: t = 13.75, P < 0.01), respectively. A significant difference was also found among the PD group, the NPD group and the control group on mind reading (F = 32.98, P < 0.01) and faux pas questions (χ² = 78.15, P < 0.01), respectively. The PD group and NPD group performed worse than normal group controls both on mind reading and faux pas questions (P < 0.05). The PD group performed significantly worse than the NPD group on tasks involving ToM (mind reading: F = 18.99, P < 0.01; faux pas questions: F = 36.01, P < 0.01). In the depressed group, there was a negative correlation between ToM performances and BPRS total score (mind reading: r = -0.35, P < 0.01; faux pas questions: r = -0.51, P < 0.01), and between ToM performances and hostile suspiciousness factor score (mind reading: r = -0.75, P < 0.01; faux pas questions: r = -0.73, P < 0.01), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two components of ToM are both impaired in patients with esophageal cancer combined with depression. This indicates that there may be an association between ToM deficits and psychotic symptoms in clinical depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine-Neurology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Quan-Di
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zhi-Qin
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Su-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wen-Wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Yong-Gui
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010465:Perception; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012919:Social Behavior; D056345:Theory of Mind
keywords: Esophageal cancer combined with depression; Social cognitive component; Social perceptual component; Theory of mind