title: Visual and audio emotion processing training for outpatients with schizophrenia: an integrated multisensory approach.
abstract: Deficits in emotion processing (EP) represent a target of rehabilitation in schizophrenia, as they have been related to poor personal and social functioning. To date neither the relationship between these deficits and the generalised cognitive impairment, nor the involvement of specific mechanisms of perception (visual or auditory) are fully comprehended. We developed two treatments targeting EP, through visual or auditory channels, with the aim of disentangling possible differences and/or interactions between the two modalities in schizophrenia-related impairments, also taking into account the role of cognition and social functioning. Thirty five outpatients with schizophrenia were assessed for neurocognition, social functioning and EP (visual and auditory channel) and participated in either visual or auditory EP training or in an active control group. Results showed a significant improvement in EP through the specific channel trained for both groups, with an extended effect also on vocal stimuli for the visual training group. Positive correlations were found between working memory, social functioning and EP. Our findings help to shed light on the possible different involvement of perceptual channels in schizophrenia, as well as supporting previous evidence that emotion recognition may be inter-related but does not overlap with neurocognition and can be specifically trained.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bechi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.|b School of Medicine , Università Vita -Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosia
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.|b School of Medicine , Università Vita -Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spangaro
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pigoni
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Mariachiara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.affiliation: b School of Medicine , Università Vita -Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scrofani
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cocchi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guglielmino
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.|b School of Medicine , Università Vita -Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smeraldi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Neurosciences , IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010045:Outpatients; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Schizophrenia; audio emotion perception; emotion processing; social cognitive training; visual emotion perception