Social cognition in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and its link with psychopathology and social outcomes: a review

BMC Psychiatry

Branka Milic¹  Henriette Loeffler-Stastka¹  Clémence Feller²  Maude Schneider²  Martin Debbané³ 

[1] Clinic for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Clinical Psychology Unit for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;Developmental Clinical Psychology Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK;

关键词: 22q11DS;    Social cognition;    Emotion processing;    Theory of mind;    ToM;    Mentalizing;    Psychopathology;    Schizophrenia;    Psychosis;    Social outcomes;    Preventive interventions;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-020-02975-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a genetic syndrome that results in a highly variable profile of affected individuals of which impairments in the social domain and increased psychopathology are the most prominent. Notably, 25–30% of affected individuals eventually develop schizophrenia/psychosis, predisposing persons with the syndrome to increased risk for this disorder. Because social cognition is considered to underlie social behavior and to be related to psychopathology, this systematic review investigated social cognition in individuals with 22q11DS and examined reported links across its domains with psychopathology and social outcomes. This can provide the basis for a closer understanding of the path from risk to disorder and will inform on the specific domains that can be targeted with preventive intervention strategies.MethodSystematic literature review of studies that reported the links between social cognitive domains and psychopathology and/or social outcomes in individuals with 22q11DS. Electronic databases searched were PubMed and PsycINFO.ResultsDefined eligibility criteria identified a total of ten studies to be included in the present review. Selected studies investigated links between two domains of social cognition (emotion processing and theory of mind (ToM)) and psychopathology and/or social outcomes. With respect to the links to psychopathology, two aspects of social cognition were related primarily to negative symptoms. Results regarding the associations to positive and emotional symptoms (anxiety/depression) are limited and require further investigation. Even though both aspects of social cognition were associated with social outcomes, several studies also found no links between these two domains. Both reports invite for an additional examination of reported results and specific considerations regarding chosen constructs.ConclusionAlthough equivocal, results of the present review provide sufficient evidence that social cognition is a useful domain for the closer elucidation of clinical outcomes and social difficulties in this population. At the same time, longitudinal studies and consideration of other variables are also necessary for a timely understanding of affected persons in this respect.

【 授权许可】

CC BY