title: Conceptual disorganization weakens links in cognitive pathways: Disentangling neurocognition, social cognition, and metacognition in schizophrenia.
abstract: Disentangling links between neurocognition, social cognition, and metacognition offers the potential to improve interventions for these cognitive processes. Disorganized symptoms have shown promise for explaining the limiting relationship that neurocognition holds with both social cognition and metacognition. In this study, primary aims included: 1) testing whether conceptual disorganization, a specific disorganized symptom, moderated relationships between cognitive processes, and 2) examining the level of conceptual disorganization necessary for links between cognitive processes to break down. To accomplish these aims, comprehensive assessments of conceptual disorganization, neurocognition, social cognition, and metacognition were administered to 67 people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. We found that conceptual disorganization significantly moderated the relationship between neurocognition and metacognition, with links between cognitive processes weakening when conceptual disorganization is present even at minimal levels of severity. There was no evidence that conceptual disorganization-or any other specific disorganized symptom-drove the limiting relationship of neurocognition on social cognition. Based on our findings, conceptual disorganization appears to be a critical piece of the puzzle when disentangling the relationship between neurocognition and metacognition. Roles of specific disorganized symptoms in the neurocognition - social cognition relationship were less clear. Findings from this study suggest that disorganized symptoms are an important treatment consideration when aiming to improve cognitive impairments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States. Electronic address: ksminor@iupui.edu.
authors.forename: Kyle S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Minor
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Marggraf
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Beshaun J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luther
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Jenifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vohs
authors.affiliation: Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Kelly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lysaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000067489:Metacognition / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: Conceptual disorganization; Metacognition; Neurocognition; Schizophrenia; Social cognition