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. 2020 Oct 8:23:100190.
doi: 10.1016/j.scog.2020.100190. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Theory of mind in schizotypy: A behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) study

Carole Leung  1 , Ka-Shun Lei  1 , Shu-Mei Wang  1 , Bess Yin-Hung Lam  2
Affiliations

Theory of mind in schizotypy: A behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) study

Carole Leung et al. Schizophr Res Cogn. .

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is known for their theory of mind (ToM) impairment. However, this impairment in schizotypy (schizotypal traits) lacks investigation.

Aims: The present study investigated: (1) whether ToM ability was impaired in schizotypy; (2) whether the ERP amplitudes in nine brain regions of interest associated with ToM (e.g., frontal region) in schizotypy and healthy controls differed; and (3) whether the relationship between ToM performances and ERP amplitudes in schizotypy differed from that in healthy controls.

Method: Forty eight adolescents and young adults (16 schizotypy) with the mean age of 18 years were tested. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) was used to assess their ToM during which ERP amplitudes were recorded.

Results: The schizotypy group showed significantly lower ERP amplitudes in all conditions of RMET in frontal, frontal-central, central, occipital and temporal regions when compared to those in healthy controls. Also, schizotypy's ERP amplitudes in the frontal, frontal-central, central, occipital, and temporal regions were different from those in the healthy individuals in responding to different types of ToM stimuli (positive, negative and neutral). In schizotypy group, reaction time responding to emotional stimuli was negatively related to ERP amplitudes in the frontal, central-parietal, parietal, occipital, and occipito-temporal regions during RMET while no significant correlations were found in healthy controls.

Conclusion: The present findings inform us with the knowledge regarding the neural and behavioral abnormality of ToM in schizotypy, suggesting that brain activity can be an alternative to detect ToM impairment in schizotypy.

Keywords: Brain activity; Event-related potential; Schizotypy; Theory of mind.

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Conflict of interest statement

I declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(a) The mean ERP amplitudes in the parietal region. The significant group by emotion interaction effect on the elicited ERP amplitudes in parietal brain region was found. (b) The mean ERP amplitudes in the occipital region showed the significant group by emotion interaction effect on the elicited ERP amplitudes in occipital brain region was found. In both graphs, healthy controls' ERP amplitudes were significantly higher than the ones in schizotypy when processing positive-valence and neutral stimuli. Although the difference was not significant, healthy controls had the lowest ERP amplitudes in both parietal and occipital regions when processing negative- valence stimuli when compared to other two conditions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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