EPA-0804 – Social and General Cognition in Patients with Paranoid Versus Non-Paranoid Schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction:

Some social cognitive subdomains such as emotion processing or theory of mind are impaired in schizophrenia. The relationship between social and general cognition and the development of specific symptomatology is still unresolved. Some authors have hypothesized that an overmentalizing pattern could underlie the development of paranoid symptoms.

Objectives:

1. To compare social cognition between patients with paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia; 2. To analyze the influence of general cognition in this result.

Aim:

To identify a social cognitive error pattern associated with paranoid schizophrenia.

Method:

43 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (24 with paranoid subtype and 19 with other subtypes) were recruited. Mean age of the sample was 43.2 y.o. SD 9.2, 72% were male and mean length of illness was 23 (SD 10.8). Spanish version of the Movie for Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) and the Screening of Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) were administered.

Results:

While the number of overmentalizing errors was similar between both groups, paranoid patients showed significantly fewer undermentalizing (p < .001) and nonmentalizing errors (p = .029). Overall, they showed better performance in social cognition (p = .03). Paranoid group also showed better performance in verbal fluency and processing speed subscales (p = .04). Finally, a significant correlation was observed between social cognition and cognitive function (r = 0.455, p = .002)

Conclusions:

Patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia show better general and social cognitive performance than non-paranoid schizophrenia. A tend to produce more overmentalizing errors was not observed in paranoid patients.