Objective To study the contribution of executive function to abnormal recognition of facial expressions of emotion in schizophrenia patients. Methods Abnormal recognition of facial expressions of emotion was assayed according to Japanese and Caucasian facial expressions of emotion (JACFEE), Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), positive and negative symptom scale, and Hamilton anxiety and depression scale, respectively, in 88 paranoid schizophrenia patients and 75 healthy volunteers. Results Patients scored higher on the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scales, displayed lower JACFEE recognition accuracies and poorer WCST performances. The JACFEE recognition accuracy of contempt and disgust was negatively correlated with the negative symptom scale score while the recognition accuracy of fear was positively with the positive symptom scale score and the recognition accuracy of surprise was negatively with the general psychopathology score in patients. Moreover, the WCST could predict the JACFEE recognition accuracy of contempt, disgust, and sadness in patients, and the perseverative errors negatively predicted the recognition accuracy of sadness in healthy volunteers. The JACFEE recognition accuracy of sadness could predict the WCST categories in paranoid schizophrenia patients. Conclusion Recognition accuracy of social-/moral emotions, such as contempt, disgust and sadness is related to the executive function in paranoid schizophrenia patients, especially when regarding sadness.
YU Shao HuaZHU Jun PengXU YouZHENG Lei LeiCHAI HaoHE WeiLIU Wei BoLI Hui ChunWANG Wei
Personality disorders often act as a common denominator for many psychiatric problems,and studies on personality disorders contribute to the etiopathology,diagnosis,and treatment of many mental disorders.In recent years,increasing evidence from various studies has shown distinctive features of personality disorders,and that from genetic and neuroimaging studies has been especially valuable.Genetic studies primarily target the genes encoding neurotransmitters and enzymes in the serotoninergic and dopaminergic systems,and neuroimaging studies mainly focus on the frontal and temporal lobes as well as the limbic-paralimbic system in patients with personality disorders.Although some studies have suffered due to unclear diagnoses of personality disorders and some have included few patients for a given personality disorder,great opportunities remain for investigators to launch new ideas and technologies in the field.
