title: Cognition and Social Cognition in non-psychotic siblings of patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deficits in Social Cognition are common in people with schizophrenia. However, it is not clear if these deficits are a vulnerability marker and whether they are independent to cognitive difficulties. This study investigates these two issues in individuals with a genetic liability to psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one healthy siblings of patients with schizophrenia were compared with 21 healthy individuals on a range of cognitive and social cognitive measures. Significant differences in cognitive domains were controlled for when comparing the two groups on measures of social cognition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Siblings of people with schizophrenia performed significantly worst on tests of theory of mind and social perception but not on affect recognition. Scores on tests of executive function, processing speed and general IQ were also lower in the sibling group. When controlled for differences in cognitive tests, the two groups still retained significant differences in theory of mind and social perception. However, executive function significantly contributed to theory of mind and processing speed to social perception differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results further suggest that difficulties in some domains of social cognition are associated with a genetic vulnerability for schizophrenia. In these areas, cognitive difficulties account only partially for social cognition problems suggesting that these two domains may represent relatively independent liability factors.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF London , UK.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cella
authors.forename: Sobia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: Til
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wykes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cognition; genetic; schizophrenia; siblings; social; vulnerability