Objective: Previous research suggests that there is an association between negative symptom severity and social cognitive deficits. However, factor analyses have revealed two subdomains of negative symptoms: Avolition-Apathy (AA) and Diminished Expression (DE). These may be differently related to social cognition. The aim of this study was to investigate which subdomain (AA, DE or total negative symptom severity) is most closely related to mentalizing performance in first-episode schizophrenia (FES).

Methods: 89 Danish first-episode schizophrenia patients and 88 healthy controls were included in the study.  Mentalizing ability was measured with the Animated Triangles Task (ATT) and negative symptoms were assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Associations between mentalizing performance and AA and DE symptom severity were investigated using model comparison of four linear mixed effects regression models with AA, DE, AA+DE or total SANS as predictors. 

Results: Mentalizing performance was best predicted when only using DE as a predictor.

Conclusion: The DE subdomain appears to be most closely related to mentalizing performance in FES.

Schizophrenia Research, article in press

Predicting mentalizing deficits in first-episode schizophrenia from different subdomains of negative symptoms
Jonas Vennike Ditlevsen¹, Arndis Simonsen^1,2, Vibeke Fuglsang Bliksted^1,2,3

¹Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital Psychiatry, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
²The Interacting Minds Centre, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Jens Chr. Skous Vej 7, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
³Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200 Aarhus N

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