title: Social cognitive impairment in 22q11 deletion syndrome: A review.
abstract: Individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) exhibit a broad array of physical and psychiatric features, of which impaired social cognition and poor social functioning are common. This review seeks to (1) characterize the current understanding of impairment across social cognitive domains in the context of 22q11DS, and (2) synthesize the relevant literature on social cognition and psychosis, given that the prevalence of psychosis in 22q11DS is especially high compared to the general population. A total of 16 papers examining social cognition in 22q11DS were identified through a comprehensive literature search conducted using electronic databases such as PubMed and PSYCInfo. Results suggest that individuals with 22q11DS exhibit impaired emotion processing and complex theory of mind relative to their typically developing peers, though some findings were accounted for by neurocognitive and intellectual abilities. Further, no studies have examined the domains of attribution bias or social perception in 22q11DS, highlighting a critical gap in the extant literature. More research is needed to better elucidate the trajectory of how and why social cognitive impairment develops in 22q11DS, and to explore possible relationships to psychiatric comorbidities like psychosis. Treatment implications and future steps are considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Emily M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Norkett
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States. Electronic address: slincoln@fas.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah Hope
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lincoln
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Heydrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Eugene J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D004062:DiGeorge Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception
keywords: Cognition; DiGeorge Syndrome; Psychotic disorders; Social perception; Theory of mind