title: Social cognition and functional outcome in schizophrenia: The moderating role of cardiac vagal tone.
abstract: Individuals with schizophrenia face significant challenges in daily functioning, and although social cognition predicts how well patients respond to these challenges, associated physiological mechanisms remain unspecified. The present study draws from polyvagal theory and tested the hypothesis that respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an established indicator of the capacity to self-regulate and adapt to environmental demands, combines with social cognition to predict functional outcome. Using data from 41 schizophrenia patients and 36 healthy comparison subjects, we replicated group differences in RSA and social cognition and also demonstrated that RSA and social cognition interact to predict how effectively patients manage work and independent living activities. Specifically, RSA did not enhance functional outcomes when social cognition was already strong, but higher levels of RSA enabled effective role functioning when social-cognitive performance was impaired. Jointly, RSA and social cognition accounted for 40% of the variance in outcome success, compared with 21% when evaluating social cognition alone. As polyvagal theory suggests, physiological flexibility and self-regulatory capacity may compensate for poorer social-cognitive skills among schizophrenia patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Holly K
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4058-0949
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Kimmy S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Junghee
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9567-8700
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, California State University.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Gretchen L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sholty
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Kristopher I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Mathis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jetton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Terrance J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Horan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiske
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Subotnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hellemann
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.
authors.forename: Keith H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nuechterlein
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Cindy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D065809:Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D066107:Social Skills; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*