title: Auditory top-down control and affective theory of mind in schizophrenia with and without hallucinations.
abstract: Social cognitive impairments may represent a core feature of schizophrenia and above all are a strong predictor of positive psychotic symptoms. Previous studies could show that reduced inhibitory top-down control contributes to deficits in theory of mind abilities and is involved in the genesis of hallucinations. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between auditory inhibition, affective theory of mind and the experience of hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia. In the present study, 20 in-patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls completed a social cognition task (the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test) and an inhibitory top-down Dichotic Listening Test. Schizophrenia patients with greater severity of hallucinations showed impaired affective theory of mind as well as impaired inhibitory top-down control. More dysfunctional top-down inhibition was associated with poorer affective theory of mind performance, and seemed to mediate the association between impairment to affective theory of mind and severity of hallucinations. The findings support the idea of impaired theory of mind as a trait marker of schizophrenia. In addition, dysfunctional top-down inhibition may give rise to hallucinations and may further impair affective theory of mind skills in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rominger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bleier
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fitz
authors.affiliation: State Psychiatric Hospital, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marksteiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papousek
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria. Electronic address: e.weiss@uni-graz.at.
authors.forename: Elisabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003071:Cognition; D004644:Emotions; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D056345:Theory of Mind
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
keywords: Affective theory of mind; Dichotic Listening Test; Hallucinations; Inhibitory top-down control; Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test; Schizophrenia