Associations of oxytocin and vasopressin plasma levels with neurocognitive, social cognitive and meta cognitive function in schizophrenia
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Date
2018
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Abstract
Many with schizophrenia experiences deficits in social cognition, neurocognition and metacognition. Yet the biological mechanisms which may underpin these cognitive deficits are poorly understood. Two candidate causes of these deficits are disturbances in oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP). To explore this we assessed plasma OT and VP in 34 schizophrenia patients and 31 healthy controls. We also concurrently assessed social cognition using the Reading the Mind from the Eyes test, neurocognition using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and metacognition using the Metacognitive Assessment Scale-Abbreviated. Group comparisons revealed lower plasma OT levels in the schizophrenia group. Plasma VP levels did not differ between groups. Correlations revealed that lower levels of OT were associated with poorer levels of metacognitive functioning in the schizophrenia group but not poorer social cognition or neurocognition. In a stepwise multiple regression, plasma OT level, neurocognition and social cognition contributed uniquely to the prediction of metacognition in the schizophrenia group. Results may suggest that disturbance in OT is linked with deficits in metacognition and may interact with other forms of cognitive deficits, interfering with the person's abilities to form a complex and integrated sense of self and others. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
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Adult , Case-Control Studies , Cognition , Cognition Disorders , Female , Humans , Male , Metacognition , Neuropsychological Tests , Oxytocin , Schizophrenia , Schizophrenic Psychology , Social Behavior , Social Perception , Vasopressins , Young Adult , oxytocin , vasopressin , oxytocin , vasopressin derivative , adult , Article , blood sampling , clinical article , clinical assessment , cognition , cognition assessment , cognitive defect , controlled study , cross-sectional study , female , human , male , metacognition , Metacognition Assessment Scale Abbreviated , neurocognition , oxytocin blood level , priority journal , Reading the Mind from the Eyes Test , schizophrenia , social cognition , vasopressin blood level , Wisconsin Card Sorting Test , blood , case control study , cognition , neuropsychological test , pathophysiology , perception , psychology , schizophrenia , social behavior , young adult