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Zhang L, James SH, Strauss GP. Environmental resource reductions predict greater severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 261:94-99. [PMID: 37716206 PMCID: PMC10840833 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
No pharmacological or psychosocial interventions effectively treat negative symptoms in schizophrenia (SZ), despite the identification of biological and psychological mechanistic targets. Limited treatment progress may result from failure to account for non-person-level environmental factors that present barriers to performing recreational, social, and goal-directed activities. The bioecosystem model of negative symptoms proposes that four interactive ecosystems (i.e. microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem) influence person-level factors (e.g., dysfunctional beliefs, glutamate, cortico-striatal functioning) to initiate and maintain negative symptoms. The current study tested this hypothesis by examining whether indirect environmental factors (e.g., access to resources for performing activities in the built environment) were associated with dysfunctional beliefs (defeatist performance, asocial, anhedonic) and negative symptoms (anhedonia, avolition, asociality). Self-reports of indirect environmental factors (i.e., the built environment), dysfunctional beliefs, and negative symptoms were collected from 31 individuals with SZ and 29 matched healthy controls. Mediation analyses were conducted with dysfunctional beliefs as the predictor, indirect environmental factors as mediator, and negative symptoms as the outcome. Individuals with SZ reported reduced access to environmental resources for performing recreational, goal-directed, and social activities; these reductions were associated with greater negative symptom severity. Mediation analyses indicated that the effect of dysfunctional beliefs on negative symptoms was mediated by participants' satisfaction with resources for performing activities in their environment. These findings suggest that psychosocial treatments could be augmented to not only target dysfunctional beliefs, but also environmental processes that lead these beliefs to emerge and contribute to negative symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Sydney H James
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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2
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Strauss GP. Environmental factors contributing to negative symptoms in youth at clinical high risk for psychosis and outpatients with schizophrenia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2023:10.1007/s00127-023-02556-3. [PMID: 37624464 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-023-02556-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A bioecosystem theory was recently proposed positing that negative symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) are influenced by environmental factors. These environmental processes reflect sources of resource deprivation that manifest across multiple systems that impact individuals directly through microsystems and indirectly through the exosystem and macrosystem. As an initial test of this theory, the current study examined whether self-reported environmental resource deprivation was associated with anhedonia, avolition, and asociality. METHOD Two samples were collected: (1) outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SZ: n = 38) and matched psychiatrically heathy controls (CN: n = 31); (2) youth at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR: n = 34) and matched CN (n = 30). Measures of negative symptoms and environmental factors influencing the frequency of recreational, goal-directed, and social activities were collected. RESULTS Negative symptoms were associated with environmental deprivation factors in the microsystem (number of social and activity settings) and exosystem (economy, mass media, politics/laws, neighborhood crime). These associations did not appear due to depression and were greater among those with SZ than CHR. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide preliminary support for the bioecosystem theory and highlight an under-recognized role for environmental factors underlying negative symptoms across phases of psychotic illness. Environmental systems-focused treatment approaches may offer a novel means of treating negative symptoms, which could be promising when coupled with person-level pharmacological and psychosocial treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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3
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Abel DB, Rand KL, Salyers MP, Myers EJ, Mickens JL, Minor KS. Do People With Schizophrenia Enjoy Social Activities as Much as Everyone Else? A Meta-analysis of Consummatory Social Pleasure. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:809-822. [PMID: 36820515 PMCID: PMC10154728 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The "emotion paradox" of schizophrenia suggests people with schizophrenia demonstrate deficits when reporting anticipated and retrospective pleasure; yet, in-the-moment, consummatory pleasure is largely intact. It is uncertain how these findings extend to social situations. This meta-analysis aimed to (1) determine the mean difference in consummatory social pleasure between people with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and (2) examine moderators of this effect, including study design and clinical characteristics of participants. DESIGN A literature search using PsycINFO, Web of Science, Pubmed, and EMBASE databases was conducted. Studies measuring consummatory social pleasure using experience sampling methods and laboratory social simulations were included. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted using Hedge's g. RESULTS Meta-analysis of 26 studies suggests people with schizophrenia exhibited a small, significant deficit in consummatory social pleasure (g = -0.38, 90% CI [-0.53, -0.22]). There was significant heterogeneity in effect sizes; magnitude was moderated by study design and type of measure used to assess social pleasure. CONCLUSIONS Overall, people with schizophrenia seem to exhibit less consummatory social pleasure than controls. However, this deficit is smaller than in studies of anticipated and retrospective pleasure. Thus, consummatory social pleasure may not be quite as impaired in people with schizophrenia as traditional anhedonia research suggests. Moreover, pleasure deficits observed in people with schizophrenia may result from differences in the quality of their daily social experiences rather than differences in their capacity for social pleasure. Results have important implications for clinical interventions that address barriers to social engagement, low-pleasure beliefs, and cognitive remediation to treat schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle B Abel
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kevin L Rand
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Michelle P Salyers
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Evan J Myers
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jessica L Mickens
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kyle S Minor
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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4
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Wen B, Hu H, Zhang Y, Wang L, Yang H, Wang Y, Wang Y, Lui SSY, Sun H, Chan RCK. Characterizing emotion profiles in non‐clinical population: A cluster analytical study. Psych J 2022; 12:202-210. [PMID: 36428096 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Emotion processing and beliefs about pleasure can influence the development and severity of depressive symptoms. This cluster analysis study aimed to profile a large sample of college students using pleasure experience, emotion expression and regulation as well as beliefs about pleasure. We also aimed to validate the resultant clusters in terms of depressive symptoms. A set of checklists capturing beliefs about pleasure and the three facets of emotion processing was administered to 1028 college students. A two-stage cluster analysis was used to analyze the profile of these emotional aspects in these college students. Our results showed that a three-cluster solution best fit the data. Cluster 1 (n = 536) was characterized by moderate levels of beliefs about pleasure, pleasure experience, emotion expression, and regulation; Cluster 2 (n = 402) was characterized by generally high levels of beliefs about pleasure, pleasure experience, emotion expression, and regulation; Cluster 3 (n = 90) was characterized by relatively low levels of beliefs about pleasure, pleasure experience, emotion expression, and regulation. The three clusters differed significantly in the severity of depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest the existence of three emotional subtypes, which may be useful in early detection of youth at risk of developing depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao‐fang Wen
- School of Psychology Weifang Medical University Shandong China
| | - Hui‐xin Hu
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yi‐jing Zhang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Ling‐ling Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Han‐xue Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yanyu Wang
- School of Psychology Weifang Medical University Shandong China
| | - Simon S. Y. Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
| | - Hongwei Sun
- School of Psychology Weifang Medical University Shandong China
| | - Raymond C. K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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5
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Hu HX, Jiang SY, Shan HD, Chu MY, Lv QY, Yi ZH, Lui SSY, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK. Negative belief-updating bias for positive daily life events in individuals with schizophrenia and social anhedonia. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2022; 27:237-254. [PMID: 34895073 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2021.2014309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Low-pleasure beliefs are found in both patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and individuals with high social anhedonia (SocAnh), and are associated with anhedonia. However, little is known about the development and maintenance of these low-pleasure beliefs in the clinical and subclinical populations. We investigated whether patients with SZ and individuals with high SocAnh have deficits in updating their beliefs, which may contribute to the understanding of the formation and maintenance of low-pleasure beliefs. METHODS The Modified Belief Updating Task was administered to assess belief-updating patterns in a clinical sample (36 SZ patients and 30 matched controls) and a subclinical sample (27 individuals with high SocAnh and 30 matched controls). RESULTS We found that compared with controls, SZ patients updated their beliefs to a greater extent and more frequently when receiving bad news for positive life events, but not for negative life events. Moreover, individuals with high SocAnh also exhibited similar patterns in updating their beliefs for positive life events after controlling depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that negative belief-updating patterns for positive events may play an important role in the formation and maintenance of low-pleasure beliefs in patients with SZ and individuals with high SocAnh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Xin Hu
- Translational Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Yao Jiang
- Translational Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-di Shan
- Translational Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Min-Yi Chu
- Translational Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin-Yu Lv
- Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng-Hui Yi
- Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Raymond C K Chan
- Translational Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Psychology, The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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6
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Riehle M, Pillny M, Lincoln TM. Expanding the positivity offset theory of anhedonia to the psychosis continuum. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 8:47. [PMID: 35853895 PMCID: PMC9261090 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00251-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
People with schizophrenia and negative symptoms show diminished net positive emotion in low-arousing contexts (diminished positivity offset) and co-activate positive and negative emotion more frequently (increased ambivalence). Here, we investigated whether diminished positivity offset and increased ambivalence covary with negative symptoms along the continuum of psychotic symptoms. We conducted an online-study in an ad-hoc community sample (N = 261). Participants self-reported on psychotic symptoms (negative symptoms, depression, positive symptoms, anhedonia) and rated positivity, negativity, and arousal elicited by pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral stimuli. The data were analyzed with multilevel linear models. Increasing levels of all assessed symptom areas showed significant associations with diminished positivity offset. Increased ambivalence was related only to positive symptoms. Our results show that the diminished positivity offset is associated with psychotic symptoms in a community sample, including, but not limited to, negative symptoms. Ecological validity and symptom specificity require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Riehle
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute for Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Matthias Pillny
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute for Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tania M Lincoln
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute for Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Anhedonia is a transdiagnostic symptom comprising reduced subjective reward or pleasure. Anhedonia influences subjective anticipation and in-the-moment experiences. This review draws together affective learning and engagement evidence for anhedonia affecting subjective experiences of social environments.
Recent Findings
While social engagement is diminished consistently, subjective appraisals of social contexts vary across different mental health disorders. Low positive affect during social experiences or stimuli is reported in PTSD, mood, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. Diminished neural reward networks underpin the anticipation of social experiences in ADHD, schizophrenia spectrum, and autistic spectrum disorders. Multiple theories exist to explain how anhedonia might interfere with social environments.
Summary
Anhedonia is a barrier to engagement, motivation, and enjoyment of social contexts. While many studies characterize experiences during social contexts, learning theories provide the most promise for developing targeted interventions.
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8
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Yang ZY, Zhang RT, Wang YM, Huang J, Zhou HY, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK. Altered activation and functional connectivity in individuals with social anhedonia when envisioning positive future episodes. Psychol Med 2021; 52:1-9. [PMID: 33775271 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721000970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anticipatory pleasure deficits are closely correlated with negative symptoms in schizophrenia, and may be found in both clinical and subclinical populations along the psychosis continuum. Prospection, which is an important component of anticipatory pleasure, is impaired in individuals with social anhedonia (SocAnh). In this study, we examined the neural correlates of envisioning positive future events in individuals with SocAnh. METHODS Forty-nine individuals with SocAnh and 33 matched controls were recruited to undergo functional MRI scanning, during which they were instructed to simulate positive or neutral future episodes according to cue words. Two stages of prospection were distinguished: construction and elaboration. RESULTS Reduced activation at the caudate and the precuneus when prospecting positive (v. neutral) future events was observed in individuals with SocAnh. Furthermore, compared with controls, increased functional connectivity between the caudate and the inferior occipital gyrus during positive (v. neutral) prospection was found in individuals with SocAnh. Both groups exhibited a similar pattern of brain activation for the construction v. elaboration contrast, regardless of the emotional context. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide further evidence on the neural mechanism of anticipatory pleasure deficits in subclinical individuals with SocAnh and suggest that altered cortico-striatal circuit may play a role in anticipatory pleasure deficits in these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo-Ya Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui-Ting Zhang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Ming Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100190, PR China
| | - Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Han-Yu Zhou
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eric F C Cheung
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100190, PR China
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9
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Strauss GP. A Bioecosystem Theory of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:655471. [PMID: 33841217 PMCID: PMC8026872 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.655471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Negative symptoms are a core feature of schizophrenia that has been linked to numerous poor clinical outcomes. Although person-level mechanisms have been identified for negative symptoms, psychosocial and pharmacological treatments targeting these mechanisms have been ineffective. The current theoretical paper proposes that limited treatment progress may result in part from a failure to identify and target environmental processes that cause and maintain negative symptoms. Methods: A novel theoretical model is outlined, called the bioecosystem theory of negative symptoms, that offers a conceptual framework for studying interactions among environmental systems and person-related biological and psychosocial factors. Results: Relying on Bronfenbrenner's developmental theory as an organizing framework, four interactive environmental systems are proposed to be critical for the genesis and maintenance of negative symptoms: (1) Microsystem: the immediate environment; (2) Mesosystem: the interactions among microsystems; (3) Exosystem: indirect environments that influence the individual through the microsystems; (4) Macrosystem: socio-cultural factors. The environmental factors within these systems are proposed to function as a network and have dynamic within-system interactions, as well as cross-system interactions that change over time and across phases of illness. Conclusions: Environmental contributions to negative symptoms have received minimal empirical attention, despite their potential to explain variance in negative symptom severity. The bioecosystem model of negative symptoms introduced here offers a novel conceptual framework for exploring environmental contributions to negative symptoms and their interaction with person-level biological and psychological factors. This theory may facilitate new avenues for identifying environmental treatment targets and novel systems-level interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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10
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Liu D, Liu S, Xiu M, Deng H, Guo H, Liu W, Zhang D, Mao Z, Huang D, Huang D, Miao Q, Qiu L, Zhao NO, Wu HE, Zhang X. Sexual Dysfunction in Chronically Medicated Male Inpatients With Schizophrenia: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Clinical Manifestations, and Response to Sexual Arousal. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:761598. [PMID: 35095591 PMCID: PMC8795612 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.761598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual dysfunction is a common symptom in patients with schizophrenia, especially in chronically medicated patients. However, the relationship between sexual dysfunction and emotional response to sexual arousal in male patients with schizophrenia remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors of sexual dysfunction in males, and their clinical correlations to sexual arousal in male patients with schizophrenia in China. METHODS A total of 162 male patients, aged 18-50 years, with schizophrenia were recruited from a psychiatric hospital in Ganzhou. The clinical symptoms were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale was utilized to evaluate sexual dysfunction. Erotic images were selected from International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Sixty-eight out of the 162 subjects completed the erotic pictures reactivity task. RESULTS Overall, 48 (29.6%) patients were measured as having global sexual dysfunction, 72 (44.4%) patients as having strength of sex drive dysfunction, 51 (31.5%) patients as having sexual arousal dysfunction, 55 (34.0%) patients as having penile erection dysfunction, 60 (37.0%) patients as having reached orgasm dysfunction, and 60 (37.0%) patients as having satisfaction with orgasm dysfunction. The sexual dysfunction patients had significantly higher scores on the negative symptoms of the PANSS. The only important predictor of sexual dysfunction was the severity of PANSS negative factor. The sense of pleasure and arousal post viewing erotic images in the sexual dysfunction group were lower compared to the non-sexual dysfunction group. The sense of pleasure and approach motivation were significantly negatively correlated with the severity of sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that nearly one-third of young and middle-aged chronically medicated male inpatients with schizophrenia suffer from sexual dysfunction. The negative factor of the PANSS can be regarded as the risk factor of sexual dysfunction. Schizophrenia patients with sexual dysfunction experienced lower pleasure and higher avoidance motivation than non-sexual dysfunction patients when exposed to erotic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianying Liu
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Liu
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Meihong Xiu
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Hongdong Deng
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Huiyun Guo
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Wanglin Liu
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Delong Zhang
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Zhongzhen Mao
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Dan Huang
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Donghua Huang
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Qiumei Miao
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Qiu
- Ganzhou City Key Laboratory of Mental Health, The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou City, Ganzhou, China
| | - Ning Olivia Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hanjing Emily Wu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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11
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Electrophysiological responses to images ranging in motivational salience: Attentional abnormalities associated with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder risk. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4578. [PMID: 32165721 PMCID: PMC7067785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61504-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals at risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders display abnormalities related to motivational salience, or the ability of stimuli to elicit attention due to associations with rewards or punishments. However, the nature of these abnormalities is unclear because most focus on responses to stimuli from broad “pleasant” and “unpleasant” categories and ignore the variation of motivational salience within these categories. In two groups at risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders—a Social Anhedonia group and a Psychotic-like Experiences group—and a control group, the current study examined event-related potential components sensitive to motivational salience—the Early Posterior Negativity (EPN), reflecting earlier selective attention, and the Late Positive Potential (LPP), reflecting sustained attention. Compared to controls, the Social Anhedonia group showed smaller increases in the EPN in response to erotica and smaller increases in the LPP as the motivational salience of pleasant images increased (exciting<affiliative<erotica). In contrast, the Psychotic-like Experiences group had larger increases in LPP amplitudes as the motivational salience of pleasant images increased. Also, both at-risk groups showed larger increases in the LPP to threatening images but smaller increases to mutilation images. These findings suggest that examining abnormalities beyond those associated with broad categories may be a way to identify mechanisms of dysfunction.
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12
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Yagishita S. Transient and sustained effects of dopamine and serotonin signaling in motivation-related behavior. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 74:91-98. [PMID: 31599012 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological studies of antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics have suggested a role of dopamine and serotonin signaling in depression. However, depressive symptoms and treatment effects are difficult to explain based simply on brain-wide decrease or increase in the concentrations of these molecules. Recent animal studies using advanced neuronal manipulation and observation techniques have revealed detailed dopamine and serotonin dynamics that regulate diverse aspects of motivation-related behavior. Dopamine and serotonin transiently modulate moment-to-moment behavior at timescales ranging from sub-second to minutes and also produce persistent effects, such as reward-related learning and stress responses that last longer than several days. Transient and sustained effects often exhibit specific roles depending on the projection sites, where distinct synaptic and cellular mechanisms are required to process the neurotransmitters for each transient and sustained timescale. Therefore, it appears that specific aspects of motivation-related behavior are regulated by distinct synaptic and cellular mechanisms in specific brain regions that underlie the transient and sustained effects of dopamine and serotonin signaling. Recent clinical studies have implied that subjects with depressive symptoms show impaired transient and sustained signaling functions; moreover, they exhibit heterogeneity in depressive symptoms and neuronal dysfunction. Depressive symptoms may be explained by the dysfunction of each transient and sustained signaling mechanism, and distinct patterns of impairment in the relevant mechanisms may explain the heterogeneity of symptoms. Thus, detailed understanding of dopamine and serotonin signaling may provide new insight into depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Yagishita
- Laboratory of Structural Physiology, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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Zhang RT, Yang ZY, Wang YM, Wang Y, Yang TX, Cheung EFC, Martin EA, Chan RCK. Affective forecasting in individuals with social anhedonia: The role of social components in anticipated emotion, prospection and neural activation. Schizophr Res 2020; 215:322-329. [PMID: 31611042 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Affective forecasting, or the ability to forecast emotional responses to future events, is essential to everyday life adaption. Previous research suggests that individuals with social anhedonia exhibit deficits in affective forecasting, but the pattern of these deficits and their neural correlates are not known. METHODS Individuals with social anhedonia (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 46) completed a social affective forecasting task and underwent resting-state fMRI scanning. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, social anhedonia individuals anticipated reduced pleasure especially in social conditions and their prospection contained less visualization, voice, taste, self-referential thoughts, other-referential thoughts and language communication. Moreover, anticipated pleasure (valence and arousal for positive events) was positively associated with effort level, especially in social conditions. The social anhedonia group also exhibited stronger functional connectivity between the retrosplenial cortex and the insula and reduced functional connectivity between the hippocampal formation and the parahippocampus. These altered functional connectivities were correlated with anticipated valence in social, but not non-social, conditions. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that individuals with social anhedonia anticipate less pleasure predominately in social conditions and impaired prospection may contribute to the reduced anticipated pleasure. Reduced anticipated pleasure may be a target to improve social motivation in social anhedonia individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Ting Zhang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhuo-Ya Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yong-Ming Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China; Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 380 Huaibeizhuang, Huairou District, Beijing, 101407, China; Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, 380 Huaibei Zhuang, Huairou District, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Tian-Xiao Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Eric F C Cheung
- Castle Peak Hospital, 15 Tsing Chung Koon Road, Tuen Mun, N.T, Hong Kong, China
| | - Elizabeth A Martin
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, 4201 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China; Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 380 Huaibeizhuang, Huairou District, Beijing, 101407, China.
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14
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Zhang RT, Wang Y, Yang ZY, Li Y, Wang YM, Cheung EFC, Shum DHK, Yang TX, Barkus EJ, Chan RCK. Network structure of anticipatory pleasure and risk features: Evidence from a large college sample. Psych J 2019; 9:223-233. [PMID: 31845536 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Investigating the relationship between anticipatory pleasure deficits and risk features of mental disorders not only theoretically benefits the understanding of anhedonia, but could also facilitate early detection and intervention of mental disorders. Using network analysis, the present study examined the pattern of relationship between anticipatory pleasure and risk features of schizophrenia spectrum, depressive, anxiety, autism spectrum, and obsessive-compulsive disorders in a large sample of college students (n = 2152). It was found that interpersonal features of schizotypal personality traits and poor social skills of autistic traits showed strong correlation with low social anticipatory pleasure. Depressive symptoms severity was weakly associated with reduced abstract anticipatory pleasure, while obsessive-compulsive traits were weakly associated with high contextual anticipatory pleasure. No significant correlation was found between anxiety symptoms severity and anticipatory pleasure. Social anticipatory pleasure had the highest strength centrality among all anticipatory pleasure components, while interpersonal features of schizotypal personality traits had the highest strength centrality in the whole network. Our findings suggest that impaired anticipatory pleasure, especially social anticipatory pleasure, is a particular feature of schizotypal personality traits and autistic traits. Our findings may have implications for intervention in that the social component may be a target to improve anhedonia in individuals with schizotypal and autistic traits, while interpersonal features may be a key treatment target given that it was central to the relationship between anticipatory pleasure and risk features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Ting Zhang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuo-Ya Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Li
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Haidian District Mental Health Prevent-Treatment Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Ming Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China
| | | | - David H K Shum
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute of Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tian-Xiao Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Emma J Barkus
- Cognitive Basis of Atypical Behaviour Initiative (CBABi), School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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15
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Mote J, Gard DE, Gonzalez R, Fulford D. How did that interaction make you feel? The relationship between quality of everyday social experiences and emotion in people with and without schizophrenia. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223003. [PMID: 31568483 PMCID: PMC6768461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
People with schizophrenia report positive emotion during social interactions in ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies; however, few of these studies examine the qualities of social interactions (e.g., intimacy) that may affect emotion experience. In the current EMA study, people with (n = 20) and without schizophrenia (n = 15) answered questions about the quality of their social interactions, including their emotion experiences. We also explored the relationship between EMA-reported social experiences and trait loneliness, negative symptoms, and social functioning. People with and without schizophrenia did not differ in EMA-reported proportion of time spent with others, extent of involvement during social interactions, intimacy of interactions, or average number of social interactions. Both people with and without schizophrenia reported more positive than negative emotion during social experiences. However, people with schizophrenia reported more loneliness, more severe negative symptoms, and impaired social functioning compared to people without schizophrenia. Further, specific qualities of social interactions (intimacy of interaction, involvement during interaction) were related to happiness during interactions only in people without schizophrenia. These results suggest that while people with and without schizophrenia report similar rates of in-the-moment social emotion experiences, the impact of social interaction quality on emotion may differ between groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Mote
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - David E. Gard
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Rachel Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel Fulford
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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16
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Castro MK, Bailey DH, Zinger JF, Martin EA. Late electrophysiological potentials and emotion in schizophrenia: A meta-analytic review. Schizophr Res 2019; 211:21-31. [PMID: 31324440 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is mixed evidence about emotional processing abnormalities in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, with self-reports and clinician ratings indicating significant differences between patients and controls, but studies of in-the-moment, self-reported emotional experience finding only small differences between these groups. The current meta-analysis synthesizes statistics from studies measuring the P3 and LPP, two event-related potential (ERP) components sensitive to attentional allocation, to examine whether patients exhibit ERP response abnormalities to neutral and valenced visual stimuli. METHODS Standardized mean amplitudes and standard errors of P3 and/or LPP waveforms (300-2000 ms) in response to neutral and valenced images were calculated for 13 studies (total n = 339 individuals with schizophrenia, 331 healthy controls). RESULTS In response to neutral images, there were very small, non-significant differences in ERP amplitudes between patient and control groups (k = 9; Hedges' g = -0.06, 95% CI: -055, 0.43, p = 0.81). In contrast, patients showed a small, significant reduction in ERP amplitudes compared to controls in response to negative images (k = 13; Hedges' g = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.59, -0.05, p = 0.02) and a small, but nonsignificant, reduction in amplitudes in response to positive images (k = 7; Hedges' g = -0.27, 95% CI: -0.71, 0.18, p = 0.24). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The current review indicates that compared to controls, patients have slightly diminished P3 and LPP amplitudes in response to positive and negative stimuli. This small reduction may reflect decreased attention allocation, possibly indicating an abnormality during a distinct stage of early processing related to evaluating the motivational salience of a stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayan K Castro
- University of California, Irvine, United States of America.
| | - Drew H Bailey
- University of California, Irvine, United States of America.
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17
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Moore MM, Chan RCK, Huang J, Martin EA. Affective forecasting and accuracy in social anhedonia: Predicted and experienced emotion for a social interaction. J Clin Psychol 2019; 75:1684-1700. [PMID: 31056752 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous research suggests people with social anhedonia (SocAnh) exhibit deficits in anticipated pleasure for social stimuli relative to controls. However, previous research has relied on hypothetical social stimuli and has focused on anticipated pleasure without examining negative affect. METHOD Participants were informed that they would complete an "enjoyable" sharing task with a peer and were asked to forecast positive and negative affect during the interaction. After the interaction, participants reported their experienced emotions. RESULTS We found SocAnh and controls anticipated and experienced similar levels of positive affect and that both groups underpredicted positive affect. The SocAnh group anticipated and experienced more negative affect than controls and was more accurate in forecasting negative affect. CONCLUSION This is the first study to show that SocAnh is associated with the heightened anticipation of negative affect and that experiencing heightened negative affect during social interactions could drive reduced motivation and desire to engage in future social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody M Moore
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory; CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory; CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Elizabeth A Martin
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California
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18
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Barkus E, Badcock JC. A Transdiagnostic Perspective on Social Anhedonia. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:216. [PMID: 31105596 PMCID: PMC6491888 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are highly social beings, yet people with social anhedonia experience reduced interest in or reward from social situations. Social anhedonia is a key facet of schizotypal personality, an important symptom of schizophrenia, and increasingly recognized as an important feature in a range of other psychological disorders. However, to date, there has been little examination of the similarities and differences in social anhedonia across diagnostic borders. Here, our goal was to conduct a selective review of social anhedonia in different psychological and life course contexts, including the psychosis continuum, depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and autism spectrum disorders, along with developmental and neurobiological factors. Current evidence suggests that the nature and expression of social anhedonia vary across psychological disorders with some groups showing deficient learning about, enjoyment from, and anticipation of the pleasurable aspects of social interactions, while for others, some of these components appear to remain intact. However, study designs and methodologies are diverse, the roles of developmental and neurobiological factors are not routinely considered, and direct comparisons between diagnostic groups are rare-which prevents a more nuanced understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved. Future studies, parsing the wanting, liking, and learning components of social reward, will help to fill gaps in the current knowledge base. Consistent across disorders is diminished pleasure from social situations, subsequent withdrawal, and poorer social functioning in those who express social anhedonia. Nonetheless, feelings of loneliness often remain, which suggests the need for social connection is not entirely absent. Adolescence is a particularly important period of social and neural development and may provide a valuable window on the developmental origins of social anhedonia. Adaptive social functioning is key to recovery from mental health disorders; therefore, understanding the intricacies of social anhedonia will help to inform treatment and prevention strategies for a range of diagnostic categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Barkus
- Cognitive Basis of Atypical Behaviour Initiative (CBABi), School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Johanna C. Badcock
- Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry (CCRN), Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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19
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Emotional response in schizophrenia to the "36 questions that lead to love": Predicted and experienced emotions regarding a live social interaction. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212069. [PMID: 30811436 PMCID: PMC6392255 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) report anticipatory pleasure deficits compared to controls and that these deficits are linked to decreased motivation to engage socially. However, these deficits have been identified via self-report measures of hypothetical pleasant stimuli, leaving it unclear whether they exist in reference to actual social situations. To address this issue, we created a live social interaction that minimized the reliance of higher-order cognitive processes. SZ and control participants were told that they would be playing an "enjoyable sharing game" with another study participant (who was actually a confederate) that involved asking and answering questions (36 interpersonal closeness generation questions; Aron et al., 1997). Participants then reported their current mood and the emotions they anticipated experiencing during the pleasant social interaction. Immediately following the interaction, they reported their experienced emotions. We found that the SZ group anticipated more negative emotion (d = 1.0), but were less accurate in forecasting negative emotion (d = .81), than controls, and these effects were large. There were small, non-significant group differences in anticipation, experience, and accuracy in forecasting of positive emotion (all ds < .29). Also, social anhedonia was positively correlated with anticipated negative affect and negatively associated with experienced positive emotion. At the same time, controls reported finding the interaction to be a more positive emotional experience overall, d = 0.75. This is the first study to show that "anticipatory pleasure deficits" in SZ might actually be heightened anticipated negative emotion and that inaccurate forecasting could be linked to decreased social motivation.
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20
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Ritsner MS, Ratner Y, Mendyk N, Gooding DC. The characterization of social anhedonia and its correlates in schizophrenia and schizoaffective patients. Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:922-928. [PMID: 30551345 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although social hedonic capacity is often assessed in clinical settings, its operational definitions have not been evaluated for concurrent validity. One hundred and twenty-five patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder were classified according to their self-reported social hedonic functioning into three groups on the basis of their total scores on the Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale (ACIPS). Participants were assessed before discharge using questionnaires and psychiatric rating scales. Using an empirically based cutoff score, we identified three groups: an intact social hedonic group (WNL), a socially anhedonic group (SA), and a socially hypohedonic group (i.e., those with scores intermediate between normal functioning and aberrantly low functioning, H). The SA patients were significantly different from the two other groups (WNL and H) by their higher severity of psychopathology, lower levels of self-efficacy, and less self-esteem. The SA patients also reported less perceived social support, poorer quality of life, and less subjective recovery. Our findings indicate that social anhedonia is a meaningful target for intervention. Further implications of our findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Ritsner
- Shaar Menashe Mental Health Center, Israel; National Insurance Institute in Israel, Haifa, Israel
| | | | | | - Diane Carol Gooding
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, United States.
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