Do complaints of everyday cognitive failures in high schizotypy relate to emotional working memory deficits in the lab?

Schizotypal traits and their relationship to reading abilities in healthy adults

Schizotypal traits (i.e., personality characteristics that range from mild eccentricities to more pronounced schizophrenia-like perceptions, thought patterns, and behaviours) have been associated with a variety of cognitive impairments, including difficulties in language processing. Although these difficulties span several aspects of language (e.g., semantic processing, verbal fluency, visual word recognition), it is unclear whether reading abilities are also affected. Thus, the current study employed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) - Brief (Raine and Benishay, 1995) to examine how schizotypal traits impact both word-level and text-level reading skills (using a battery of standardized assessments) in a sample of healthy young adults. We found some evidence that higher schizotypal traits, specifically, increased Disorganized factor scores (reflecting aberrant thinking, communication patterns, and behaviour), were associated with reduced word-level reading abilities. However, this finding did not remain significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Overall, our study suggests that reading may be another aspect of language affected by schizotypal traits, although additional research (with greater power) is needed to further explore and confirm this finding.

Neurocognition and brain functional connectivity in a non-clinical population-based sample with psychotic experiences

We characterized the neurocognitive profile of communed-based individuals and unaffected siblings of patients with psychosis from Brazil reporting psychotic experiences (PEs). We also analyzed associations between PEs and the intra and inter-functional connectivity (FC) in the Default Mode Network (DMN), the Fronto-Parietal Network (FPN) and the Salience Network (SN) measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The combined sample of communed-based individuals and unaffected siblings of patients with psychosis comprised 417 (neurocognition) and 85 (FC) volunteers who were divided as having low (<75th percentile) and high (≥75th percentile) PEs (positive, negative, and depressive dimensions) assessed by the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences. The neurocognitive profile and the estimated current brief intellectual quotient (IQ) were assessed using the digit symbol (processing speed), arithmetic (working memory), block design (visual learning) and information (verbal learning) subtests of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-third edition. Logistic regression models were performed for neurocognitive analysis. For neuroimaging, we used the CONN toolbox to assess FC between the specified regions, and ROI-to-ROI analysis. In the combined sample, high PEs (all dimensions) were related to lower processing speed performance. High negative PEs were related to poor visual learning performance and lower IQ, while high depressive PEs were associated with poor working memory performance. Those with high negative PEs presented FPN hypoconnectivity between the right and left lateral prefrontal cortex. There were no associations between PEs and the DMN and SN FC. Brazilian individuals with high PEs showed neurocognitive impairments like those living in wealthier countries. Hypoconnectivity in the FPN in a community sample with high PEs is coherent with the hypothesis of functional dysconnectivity in schizophrenia.

Effects of ulotaront on brain circuits of reward, working memory, and emotion processing in healthy volunteers with high or low schizotypy

Ulotaront, a trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) and serotonin 5-HT1A receptor agonist without antagonist activity at dopamine D2 or the serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of schizophrenia. Here we report the phase 1 translational studies that profiled the effect of ulotaront on brain responses to reward, working memory, and resting state connectivity (RSC) in individuals with low or high schizotypy (LS or HS). Participants were randomized to placebo (n = 32), ulotaront (50 mg; n = 30), or the D2 receptor antagonist amisulpride (400 mg; n = 34) 2 h prior to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses to task performance. Ulotaront increased subjective drowsiness, but reaction times were impaired by less than 10% and did not correlate with BOLD responses. In the Monetary Incentive Delay task (reward processing), ulotaront significantly modulated striatal responses to incentive cues, induced medial orbitofrontal responses, and prevented insula activation seen in HS subjects. In the N-Back working memory task, ulotaront modulated BOLD signals in brain regions associated with cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Ulotaront did not show antidepressant-like biases in an emotion processing task. HS had significantly reduced connectivity in default, salience, and executive networks compared to LS participants and both drugs reduced this difference. Although performance impairment may have weakened or contributed to the fMRI findings, the profile of ulotaront on BOLD activations elicited by reward, memory, and resting state is compatible with an indirect modulation of dopaminergic function as indicated by preclinical studies. This phase 1 study supported the subsequent clinical proof of concept trial in people with schizophrenia.Clinical trial registration: Registry# and URL: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01972711, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01972711.

A comparative study of theory of mind in taxon-like clusters of psychometric schizotypes and individuals at genetic risk for schizophrenia

Introduction: Clinical and family studies suggest that alterations of theory of mind (ToM) represent a marker of genetic liability to schizophrenia. Findings regarding ToM in schizotypy are less consistent. The study aimed to explore whether this might be due to an insufficient account of the heterogeneity of schizotypy in prior research and/or the fact that in psychometric schizotypy ToM alterations could manifest as subtle peculiarities rather than overt errors of mentalising.Methods: Individuals without a family history of psychosis (n = 150) were assigned to low, positive, negative, and high mixed schizotypy classes based on a cluster analysis of 1322 subjects who completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. The classes were compared on their performance of faux pas tasks with 77 adult first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients, who represent individuals at genetic risk for schizophrenia. Besides overt errors, subtle alterations in ToM were analysed using expert judgment.Results: The relatives tended to make overt errors and demonstrated specific features of intentional reasoning. None of the schizotypal classes showed similar trends.Conclusions: The results complement the literature on the subjective-objective disjunction in psychometric schizotypes and did not provide evidence that ToM anomalies are a marker of genetic liability to schizophrenia in this cohort.

Cognitive Failures and the Role of Emotion in Dimensional Schizotypy: A Replication and Extension

INTRODUCTION

Cognitive failures are commonplace within the general population but may be particularly heightened in those with higher levels of schizotypy. This is especially salient in the context of enduring trait and momentary state negative emotion which often contributes to increases in daily impairments, leading to a more debilitating and distracted life. Particularly, individuals with elevated levels of schizotypy may be more likely to experience cognitive failures, especially in the presence of negative trait emotion such as depression, anxiety, and stress. However, little is known about the influence of state emotion and the distinct roles that state and trait emotion may have with cognitive failures and schizotypy.

METHODS

To replicate and extend previous findings, 306 (58% males) undergraduate students aged 18-50 years (M = 19.343; SD = 2.493) completed self-report measures of cognitive failures, trait and state emotion, and schizotypy. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed in SPSS to examine the potential effects of trait and state emotion on the relationship between schizotypy and cognitive failures.

RESULTS

Consistent with previous findings, mood symptomology, in addition to negative affect, mediated cognitive failures in those with higher levels of schizotypy. However, in our sample, positive affect did not appear to buffer against cognitive failures.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study suggest there may be a nuanced relationship between both negative trait and state emotions on the relationships between cognitive failures and schizotypy. Understanding the interaction of enduring versus momentary emotion on cognition as they relate to an elevated risk for developing schizophrenia-spectrum phenomena may be a point for earlier and more targeted interventions.

Self-perceived cognitive lapses and psychological well-being in schizotypy: Generalized and domain-specific associations

A critical link between schizotypy and schizophrenia is impoverished cognitive functioning. In the majority of studies, though: (1) cognition is examined with standard neuropsychological tasks; and (2) high-schizotypal individuals are defined according to criteria applied in the respective study sample. Taking these considerations into account, the aims of the present study were to examine: (1) differences between four pre-defined, according to normative criteria, schizotypal (paranoid, negative, disorganized and cognitive-perceptual) and one control groups in self-perceived cognitive lapses; and (2) associations between schizotypal dimensions, self-perceived cognitive lapses and psychological well-being. Two hundred and sixty-one participants were administered the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Flourishing Scale, which assesses psychological well-being. Negative schizotypals reported higher scores in almost all CFQ measures compared with the control group (all p values < 0.01) along with poorer psychological well-being compared with the control and the cognitive-perceptual groups (both p values < 0.001). The disorganized group had higher scores in distractibility, blunders and total CFQ scores compared with the control group (all p values < 0.001). High psychological well-being was significantly associated with low negative schizotypy and CFQ blunders along with high cognitive-perceptual schizotypy (all p values < 0.05). To summarize, negative schizotypy is associated with a profile of "generalized" self-perceived cognitive lapses while disorganized schizotypy is characterized by self-perceived cognitive slips that have previously been shown to be mediated by a fronto-parietal network. Although psychological well-being is negatively associated with social-context specific cognitive failures and negative schizotypy, it is positively associated with cognitive-perceptual schizotypy.

Interview and questionnaire assessment of cognitive impairment in subjects at ultra-high risk for psychosis: Associations with cognitive test performance, psychosocial functioning, and positive symptoms

Impaired cognitive test performance is well-documented in subjects at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. However, assessment of cognitive deficits as manifested in real life is a neglected area of UHR research that may add to the understanding of cognitive impairment and its relationship with psychosocial functioning and positive symptomatology. This study applied the interview-based Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS) and the questionnaire-based Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version (BRIEF-A) in a cross-sectional sample of 39 UHR subjects and 50 healthy controls. Cognitive test performance, psychosocial functioning, and positive symptoms were also assessed. The UHR subjects demonstrated significant cognitive impairment, with large effect sizes for the SCoRS and BRIEF-A composite outcome variables (rs = -0.67 to -0.80) and a neurocognitive composite score (d = -0.97). Within the UHR group, several significant associations between worse cognitive ratings and worse cognitive test performance (rs = -0.210 to -0.343), poorer psychosocial functioning (rs = -0.058 to -0.728), and worse positive symptoms (rs= 0.415 to 0.478) were found. Worse cognitive test performance showed significant associations with more pronounced positive symptoms (rs = -0.299 to -0.457). Interview and questionnaire assessment may hold promise for supplementing traditional performance-based cognitive assessment in identifying treatment targets in the UHR population.

Effect of comorbid anxiety and depression in complicated grief on perceived cognitive failures

BACKGROUND

Bereavement is associated with cognitive difficulties, but it is unclear whether these difficulties are associated with normative and/or complicated grief (CG) and how comorbid depression and anxiety contribute to them. Self-reported "minor errors in thinking" (i.e., cognitive failures) may manifest following bereavement and be differentially affected by CG, anxiety, and depression.

METHODS

Associations between perceived cognitive failures and CG, anxiety, and depression were investigated in 581 bereaved participants. To examine both single and comorbid conditions across the spectrum of bereaved participants, these relationships were examined using both linear regressions and group comparisons.

RESULTS

Continuous measures of depression, anxiety, and grief each independently predicted perceived cognitive failures. Group comparisons indicated that the group with three comorbid conditions had the highest frequency of perceived cognitive failures and the group with no conditions had the lowest. In addition, groups with threshold depression levels (both alone and comorbid with another condition) had higher frequencies of perceived cognitive failures than other groups, suggesting that depression was more strongly associated with perceived cognitive failures than CG or anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research about cognition following bereavement should address how multiple mental health symptoms or conditions combine to affect perceived and actual cognitive capacity.

Early maladaptive schemas in patients with schizophrenia and non-patients with high and low schizotypal traits and their differences based on depression severity

BACKGROUND

The aims of this study were to predict positive and negative symptoms of psychosis via early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) in patients with schizophrenia (SZ); to compare EMSs among SZ patients, non-patients with high schizotypal traits, and non-patients with low schizotypal traits; and to compare EMSs among subgroups concerning depression severity.

METHODS

We applied three groups of participants including SZ patients (n = 105), non-patients with low schizotypal traits (n = 90), and non-patients with high schizotypal traits (n = 90). Participants completed the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Schizotypal Personality Scale (STA), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II).

RESULTS

The results indicated that the mistrust/abuse and social isolation schemas were significant predictors of positive and negative symptoms in SZ patients respectively. SZ patients and non-patients with high schizotypal traits exceeded non-patients with low schizotypal traits on all EMSs. There were no differences between SZ patients and non-patients with high schizotypal traits regarding EMSs. In the subgroups with high depression, SZ patients showed higher levels of EMSs than non-patients with low and high schizotypal traits. In the subgroups with low depression, both SZ patients and non-patients with high schizotypal traits had higher scores on EMSs than non-patients with low schizotypal traits.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that mistrust/abuse and social isolation may be specific to psychosis symptoms. Also, SZ and schizotypal traits may overlap in relation to EMSs. In addition, the activated EMSs may contribute to high depression in SZ.