1
|
Adamczyk P, Biczak J, Kotlarska K, Daren A, Cichocki Ł. On the specificity of figurative language comprehension impairment in schizophrenia and its relation to cognitive skills but not psychopathological symptoms - Study on metaphor, humor and irony. Schizophr Res Cogn 2024; 35:100294. [PMID: 37928747 PMCID: PMC10624582 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2023.100294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
People with schizophrenia have difficulty understanding figurative expressions, such as metaphors, humor or irony. The present study investigated the specificity of figurative language impairment in schizophrenia and its relation with cognitive and psychotic symptoms. It included 54 schizophrenia and 54 age and sex-matched healthy subjects who performed a cognitive screening (ACE-III) and figurative language comprehension task consisting of 60 short stories with three types of endings: a figurative one and its literal and an absurd (meaningless) counterparts. Each figurative domain - metaphor, humor, irony - was split into two sub-domains, i.e., conventional and novel metaphors, intended-to-be-funny and social-norm-violation jokes, simple irony and critical sarcasm, respectively. The main findings are: i) in schizophrenia, figurative language deficit manifests itself in each domain; ii) the most pronounced subdomain-specific impairment has been found for novel vs conventional metaphors and irony vs sarcasm; iii) altered figurative language comprehension was related to diminished cognitive abilities but not to psychopathology symptoms (PANSS) or other clinical characteristics. This may suggest that figurative language impairment, as a specific part of communication deficit, may be regarded as an essential characteristic of schizophrenia, related to primary cognitive deficits but independent of psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Artur Daren
- Faculty of Psychology, Pedagogy, and Humanities, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Łukasz Cichocki
- Babinski Clinical Hospital, Krakow, Poland
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Huang B, Pu C, Guo X, Chan RCK, Huang J, Yu X. Hypo- and hyper-activation in frontotemporal lobe during humor processing in patients with first episode schizophrenia. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 92:103892. [PMID: 38160523 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with schizophrenia present difficulties in humor recognition and appreciation, but the neural mechanism of these deficits remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate neural substrates underlying humor processing in patients with first episode schizophrenia (FES). METHODS This study recruited 40 patients with FES (illness duration ≤ 4 years) and 31 healthy controls matching for age, gender and education level. Participants completed a fMRI verbal humor processing paradigm comprising 96 stories, half for funny punch-line condition and the other half for unfunny condition. Participants were required to judge whether the story was funny or not. Signal detection theory (SDT) analysis was used to calculate d' and β values which represented sensitivity and inner criteria for humor signals respectively. The funny-unfunny contrast was analyzed to identify the brain regions related with humor processing. d' and β values were put into the imaging regression analysis. RESULTS Patients with FES showed significantly lower hit rate and sensitivity of humor signals (d'). At the neural level, patients with FES hypo-activated in ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) while hyper-activated in middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) compared to controls. In addition, activity in vmPFC and ACC was positively associated with d' and β values, while activity in STG was positively associated with β values in the clinical group. CONCLUSIONS Patients with FES exhibited decreased sensitivity to humor signals. Hypo-activation in frontal regions and hyper-activation in temporal regions were associated with the humor processing deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bingjie Huang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China; Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Chengcheng Pu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China; Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Guo
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China; Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 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
| | - 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.
| | - Xin Yu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China; Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Adamczyk P, Jáni M, Ligeza TS, Płonka O, Błądziński P, Wyczesany M. On the Role of Bilateral Brain Hypofunction and Abnormal Lateralization of Cortical Information Flow as Neural Underpinnings of Conventional Metaphor Processing Impairment in Schizophrenia: An fMRI and EEG Study. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:537-554. [PMID: 33973137 PMCID: PMC8195899 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00849-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Figurative language processing (e.g. metaphors) is commonly impaired in schizophrenia. In the present study, we investigated the neural activity and propagation of information within neural circuits related to the figurative speech, as a neural substrate of impaired conventional metaphor processing in schizophrenia. The study included 30 schizophrenia outpatients and 30 healthy controls, all of whom were assessed with a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) punchline-based metaphor comprehension task including literal (neutral), figurative (metaphorical) and nonsense (absurd) endings. The blood oxygenation level-dependent signal was recorded with 3T MRI scanner and direction and strength of cortical information flow in the time course of task processing was estimated with a 64-channel EEG input for directed transfer function. The presented results revealed that the behavioral manifestation of impaired figurative language in schizophrenia is related to the hypofunction in the bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal brain regions (fMRI) and various differences in effective connectivity in the fronto-temporo-parietal circuit (EEG). Schizophrenia outpatients showed an abnormal pattern of connectivity during metaphor processing which was related to bilateral (but more pronounced at the left hemisphere) hypoactivation of the brain. Moreover, we found reversed lateralization patterns, i.e. a rightward-shifted pattern during metaphor processing in schizophrenia compared to the control group. In conclusion, the presented findings revealed that the impairment of the conventional metaphor processing in schizophrenia is related to the bilateral brain hypofunction, which supports the evidence on reversed lateralization of the language neural network and the existence of compensatory recruitment of alternative neural circuits in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Adamczyk
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Martin Jáni
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomasz S Ligeza
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
| | - Olga Płonka
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Błądziński
- Community Psychiatry and Psychosis Research Center, Chair of Psychiatry, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Miroslaw Wyczesany
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jáni M, Płonka O, Daren A, Błądziński P, Kalisz A, Wyczesany M, Adamczyk P. The neural substrates of diminished humor comprehension in schizophrenia and its relationship with psychopathology. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2021. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2021-017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
5
|
Daren A, Adamczyk P, Błądziński P, Cechnicki A. Humor perception in schizophrenia appears to be related to disorganization syndrome. Compr Psychiatry 2020; 96:152149. [PMID: 31786489 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2019.152149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception of humor seems to be often disturbed in schizophrenia, yet current literature is limited and ambiguous on its relationship to psychopathology. A sample of 40 schizophrenia-diagnosed subjects provided humor comprehension and funniness ratings for 60 cartoons and 60 stories with funny, neutral and absurd punchlines. Disorganization syndrome was found to associate with deficits in humor comprehension and experienced funniness in non-humorous stimuli after controlling for cognitive performance, age, sex and medication. The findings are discussed in relation to previous studies on the topic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Artur Daren
- Department of Community Psychiatry, Chair of Psychiatry, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Adamczyk
- Psychophysiology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Błądziński
- Department of Community Psychiatry, Chair of Psychiatry, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Andrzej Cechnicki
- Department of Community Psychiatry, Chair of Psychiatry, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| |
Collapse
|