title: Higher-order social cognition in first-episode major depression.
abstract: Patients suffering from major depression experience difficulties in multiple cognitive faculties. A growing body of research has linked affective disorders to abnormalities in social cognition and specifically the processing of discrete emotional stimuli. However, little inquiry has gone into possible impairment in higher-order social cognition including theory of mind, social perception and metacognition. Forty-four medication-naïve patients with first-episode unipolar major depressive disorder and an equal number of matched controls were assessed by the Metacognitive Assessment Scale-Abbreviated (MAS-A), The Frith-Happé animations (FHA) and The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT). Additionally, neurocognition was assessed utilyzing the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Depressed patients showed impairment in all domains of higher-order social cognitive ability. Importantly, social cognitive variables retained their inter-group significance after controlling for possible covariates including neurocognition. Results indicate that first-episode depressed patients experience difficulties in all domains of higher-order social cognition including theory of mind, social perception and metacognition.
authors: Mood Disorders Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240 Risskov, Denmark. Electronic address: nicolai.ladegaard@ps.rm.dk.
authors: Nicolai
authors: N
authors: Ladegaard
authors: Mood Disorders Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240 Risskov, Denmark.
authors: Erik Roj
authors: ER
authors: Larsen
authors: Center for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors: Poul
authors: P
authors: Videbech
authors: Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors: Paul H
authors: PH
authors: Lysaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D056345:Theory of Mind
keywords: Cognitive functioning; MDD; Mentalization; Metacognition; Neurocognition; Social cognition; Theory of Mind