Face processing in schizophrenia: Parallels with the effects of amygdala damage
Titel:
Face processing in schizophrenia: Parallels with the effects of amygdala damage
Auteur:
Evangeli, Michael Broks, Paul
Verschenen in:
Cognitive neuropsychiatry
Paginering:
Jaargang 5 (2000) nr. 2 pagina's 81-104
Jaar:
2000-05-01
Inhoud:
Various lines of research into the neurobiological basis of schizophrenia have implicated the temporal lobes and underlying structures, including the amygdala. Against the background of recent neuropsychological studies highlighting the role of the amygdala in social information processing, and theoretical formulations which conceive of schizophrenia as a neuropsychological disorder of social cognition, the present study examined the performance of schizophrenic individuals on tasks which previous studies have shown to be sensitive to amygdala damage. Tests of face perception, verbal fluency, memory, visual perception, and verbal comprehension were administered to 12 schizophrenics, 12 depressed controls, and 12 normal controls, matched for age, gender, and intellectual level. Group analysis of data showed impairment in schizophrenia of some functions thought to rely on the amygdala, particularly facial fear perception. However, examination of single cases showed that some individuals with schizophrenia were not impaired on any amygdala-related functions. Further, impairments were noted in tasks thought not to be related to the amygdala (e.g. nonaffective memory and facial identity matching). These results further highlight the heterogeneity of functioning in schizophrenia, while providing evidence that amygdala pathology may be present in some individuals with the condition. Implications for the view of schizophrenia as a disorder of social cognition, the neural basis of which involves the amygdala, are discussed.
Tijdschrift beschrijving