Self-face recognition and theory of mind in patients with schizophrenia and first-degree relatives

The hypothesized relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and self-face recognition as well as its potential genetic associations has not been previously explored in patients with schizophrenia and in first-degree relatives with schizotypal personality traits. Ten patients diagnosed with schizophre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Schizophrenia research 2006-12, Vol.88 (1), p.151-160
Main Authors: Irani, Farzin, Platek, Steven M., Panyavin, Ivan S., Calkins, Monica E., Kohler, Christian, Siegel, Steven J., Schachter, Michael, Gur, Raquel E., Gur, Ruben C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition Disorders - epidemiology
Cognition Disorders - etiology
Endophenotype
Face
Face processing
Female
Humans
Male
Mass Screening - methods
Medical sciences
Perceptual Disorders - diagnosis
Perceptual Disorders - epidemiology
Perceptual Disorders - etiology
Personality disorders
Phenotype
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychoses
Reaction Time
Recognition (Psychology)
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - complications
Schizophrenia - epidemiology
Schizophrenia - genetics
Schizotypal Personality Disorder - complications
Schizotypal Personality Disorder - epidemiology
Schizotypal Personality Disorder - genetics
Schizotypal traits
Self Concept
Self-face
Severity of Illness Index
Social Behavior
Surveys and Questionnaires
Theory of mind
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Summary:The hypothesized relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and self-face recognition as well as its potential genetic associations has not been previously explored in patients with schizophrenia and in first-degree relatives with schizotypal personality traits. Ten patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, 10 of their first-degree relatives and 10 healthy controls were included. To assess self-face recognition (SFR), participants were presented images of faces of themselves and others and asked to make rapid ‘unfamiliar’, ‘familiar’ and ‘self’ judgments. As a measure of ToM, subjects were administered the Revised Mind in the Eyes Test (MET [Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Hill, J., Raste, Y., and Plumb, I., 2001. The “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Test revised version: a study with normal adults, and adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 42(2), 241–251.]). Schizotypal characteristics in relatives and controls were assessed using a modified version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ [Raine, A., 1991. The SPQ: a scale for the assessment of schizotypal personality based on DSM-III-R criteria. Schizophrenia Bulletin 17(4), 555–564.]). Patients took longer and were less accurate on the SFR task than their relatives who in turn performed worse than healthy controls. Specific ToM deficits in schizophrenia were replicated. There was a relationship between accuracy rates on the MET and SFR tasks. High levels of schizotypal traits such as social anxiety, constricted affect and no close friends were important for both tasks. Face recognition deficits and ToM deficits in schizophrenia are apparent. The critical influence of high levels of select schizotypal traits is also highlighted. A deficit in relatives of schizophrenia patients raises the possibility that ToM and face recognition deficits may be candidate endophenotypes for schizophrenia. Support for the hypothesized link between ToM and face recognition is provided.
ISSN:0920-9964
1573-2509
DOI:10.1016/j.schres.2006.07.016