By Aarnn Miller-
A new study from Case Western Reserve University has proposed a shift in schizophrenia treatment that focuses on helping patients better interpret social cues.
The study found that Social cognition was a significant mediator between neurocognition and functioning. Simultaneous changes in the brain which affect physical, emotional, and social changes, can ignite mental health problems, particularly in teens.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
The fact that all these changes happen at one time may explain why many mental illnesses—such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders—emerge during adolescence. In many cases, these mental illnesses can be exacerbated or have a life long effect on the sufferers if not adequately attended to.
And although teenagers are generally more adaptable to change, and more resilient than those in many other age groups, the cumulative effect of many factors can very daunting
A path analysis approach was used to compute mediation of social cognition (mediator; composite index and subdomain scores) on the relationship between neurocognition (predictor; composite index) and functional outcome (outcome; composite index).
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
Significant positive associations were observed between neurocognition, social cognition, and functional outcome. As previously observed, the mediation effect of the social cognition composite was significant
As such, comprehensive cognitive remediation interventions that address both cognitive domains are highly promising for improving functional outcomes
A standardized computer-administered and performance-based assessment of emotion processing and management that yields four subscale scores: perceiving, facilitating, understanding, and managing emotions has been established.
“We’ve been treating schizophrenia with a one-size-fits-all approach for decades,” Jessica Wojtalik, an assistant professor at the Cleveland university’s school of applied social sciences, said in a news release. “Now we have a specific target that could help young patients get their lives back on track much faster.”
The findings — published recently in the journal Psychiatry Research — identify a key brain function known as social inference skills as a potential new focus for early treatment. It’s a person’s ability to “read between the lines” in social situations.
Schizophrenia, a serious mental illness that affects how people think, feel and behave, often begins during the teenage years when the brain is still developing, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.. The new study found that improving patients’ ability to interpret tone, body language and sarcasm — skills essential for navigating everyday interactions — could help them function better in everyday life.
Results indicate that the impact of cognition on functional outcome in the early course occurs, in part, through the impact of neurocognition on social cognition, which later influences functional outcome. In addition, social inference is possibly an important treatment target of functional recovery in the early course of the condition, highlighting a potential future research direction
This review also demonstrated that subdomains of social cognition differentially mediate the impact of neurocognition on functional outcome.
Experts say there is a mechanistic pathway to poor functional outcome in schizophrenia, influenced at least in part by the impact of impaired neurocognition on social cognition.
“Think of social inference as your brain’s social detective work,” lead author Anju Kotwani, a doctoral student in applied social sciences at Case Western, said in a news release. “It’s how you figure out what someone really means when they say ‘fine’ in a certain tone or how you know when someone is being sarcastic versus serious.”
The research team studied 102 patients in the early stages of schizophrenia and found that social cognition (the brain’s ability to understand and respond to social cues) serves as a critical link between basic thinking skills and day-to-day functioning.
Their results suggest that training programs that strengthen social inference skills through structured computer games or guided worksheets could be more effective than traditional methods focused on memory or attention alone.
Researchers hope the findings will help shape new community-based treatment programs aimed at young folks newly diagnosed with schizophrenia.
“Addressing both thinking skills and social understanding offers the best hope for functional recovery in early schizophrenia,” Kotwani said.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar