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Anomalous self-experiences are related to general cognition deficits in schizophrenia

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European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Anomalous self-experiences (ASEs) are prevalent in schizophrenia, but its underpinnings are not completely understood. Given the likely complex substrate of the experience of the self, neurocognitive functions requiring coordinate cerebral activity may relate to ASEs. Moreover, cognitive deficits functioning may be involved in the link between self-experience disturbances and some aspects of social dysfunction in schizophrenia. We have assessed ASEs in 41 schizophrenia patients (11 first episodes) using the Inventory of Psychotic-Like Anomalous Self-Experiences (IPASE), and the general cognition using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Besides, social cognition was assessed using two complementary tools Meyer, Salovey and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and GEOPTE (Grupo Español para la Optimización del Tratamiento de la Esquizofrenia). The results revealed that Self-awareness/presence and Somatization IPASE scores were inversely explained by motor speed in the BACS; Consciousness IPASE scores were inversely explained by problem solving performance in the BACS. These data reveal a significant relationship between certain domains of general cognition and anomalous self-experiences, that may be useful in further investigation on the substrates of ASEs.

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Funding

This work was supported by the following grants: “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (Grant ID PI18/00178), “Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León” (Grant ID GRS 1721/A/18), and by predoctoral grants from the “Consejería de Educación—Junta de Castilla y León” (Spain) and the European Social Fund (Grant IDs VA-183-18 to IFL).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

    Marta Hernández-García, Marta Gómez-García, Eva Sotelo & Vicente Molina

  2. Psychiatry Service, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    Pilar Andrés-Olivera & Rubén de Alarcon-Gómez

  3. Psychiatry Department, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

    Inés Fernández-Linsenbarth & Vicente Molina

  4. Methodology and Statistics Support, Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

    María Fe Muñoz-Moreno

Authors
  1. Marta Hernández-García
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  2. Marta Gómez-García
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  3. Eva Sotelo
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  4. Inés Fernández-Linsenbarth
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  5. Pilar Andrés-Olivera
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  6. Rubén de Alarcon-Gómez
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  7. María Fe Muñoz-Moreno
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  8. Vicente Molina
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Contributions

MH, MG, PO and RA recruited patients and collected clinical data and IPASE scores; IF and ES collected cognitive data; VM designed the study; MH and VM performed the statistical analyses and wrote the draft.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vicente Molina.

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All participants provided written informed consent, including consent for publication, after receiving full oral and printed information. The local ethical committee approved this study.

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Hernández-García, M., Gómez-García, M., Sotelo, E. et al. Anomalous self-experiences are related to general cognition deficits in schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 271, 707–712 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-020-01213-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-020-01213-z

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