B Ellement1, Y Jasaui2, K Kathol3,4, E Nosratmirshekarlou3,5,6, T Pringsheim3,5,6,7, J Sarna3, B L Callahan1,6,7, D Martino3,6,7. 1. Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. 2. Continuing Medical Education, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. 3. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. 4. Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 5. Department of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. 6. Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, AB, Canada. 7. Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Anxiety and depression are common disabling comorbidities in cervical dystonia (CD) and may predispose to social withdrawal and social cognitive impairments. The relationship between social cognition and depressive/anxiety symptoms in CD is under-investigated. METHODS: Forty-six CD patients (40 women; mean age ± SD, 55.57 ± 10.84 years) were administered the following social cognition battery: Affect Naming, Prosody Face and Pair Matching subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV and Wechsler Memory Scale IV (social perception), reality-known and reality-unknown false belief reasoning tasks (theory of mind), Empathy Quotient and Social Norms Questionnaire 22 (social behaviour), alongside the Benton Facial Recognition Task (non-emotional facial discrimination). Alongside CD severity, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale measured depressive/anxiety comorbid diagnostic status and severity, and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale assessed social phobia. Social cognition tasks were standardized using published normative data and a cut-off of z < -1.5 for impairment. RESULTS: More than 90% of our CD patients performed normally on social perception and social behaviour tests. Performance on impaired belief reasoning (theory of mind) was impaired in 10 of 46 (21.74%); five of 46 (10.87%) were impaired on the Empathy Quotient. Better performance on the Affect Naming task was associated with comorbid anxiety (η2 = 0.09, medium-to-large effect size) and greater anxiety, depression and social phobia severity. Worse performance on the Empathy Quotient was associated with comorbid depression (η2 = 0.11, medium-to-large effect size) and greater depression severity. CD patients had significantly more difficulties with fearful face identification (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Greater social perception abilities in CD patients with more severe anxiety and depression suggest efficient modulation and self-adaptation of social cognitive skills.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Anxiety and depression are common disabling comorbidities in cervical dystonia (CD) and may predispose to social withdrawal and social cognitive impairments. The relationship between social cognition and depressive/anxiety symptoms in CD is under-investigated. METHODS: Forty-six CDpatients (40 women; mean age ± SD, 55.57 ± 10.84 years) were administered the following social cognition battery: Affect Naming, Prosody Face and Pair Matching subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV and Wechsler Memory Scale IV (social perception), reality-known and reality-unknown false belief reasoning tasks (theory of mind), Empathy Quotient and Social Norms Questionnaire 22 (social behaviour), alongside the Benton Facial Recognition Task (non-emotional facial discrimination). Alongside CD severity, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale measured depressive/anxiety comorbid diagnostic status and severity, and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale assessed social phobia. Social cognition tasks were standardized using published normative data and a cut-off of z < -1.5 for impairment. RESULTS: More than 90% of our CDpatients performed normally on social perception and social behaviour tests. Performance on impaired belief reasoning (theory of mind) was impaired in 10 of 46 (21.74%); five of 46 (10.87%) were impaired on the Empathy Quotient. Better performance on the Affect Naming task was associated with comorbid anxiety (η2 = 0.09, medium-to-large effect size) and greater anxiety, depression and social phobia severity. Worse performance on the Empathy Quotient was associated with comorbid depression (η2 = 0.11, medium-to-large effect size) and greater depression severity. CDpatients had significantly more difficulties with fearful face identification (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Greater social perception abilities in CDpatients with more severe anxiety and depression suggest efficient modulation and self-adaptation of social cognitive skills.
Authors: Marenka Smit; Alberto Albanese; Monika Benson; Mark J Edwards; Holm Graessner; Michael Hutchinson; Robert Jech; Joachim K Krauss; Francesca Morgante; Belen Pérez Dueñas; Richard B Reilly; Michele Tinazzi; Maria Fiorella Contarino; Marina A J Tijssen Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2021-06-03 Impact factor: 4.003