Tryptophan-enriched diet or 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation given in a randomized controlled trial impacts social cognition on a neural and behavioral level

AbstractUnderstanding of emotions and intentions are key processes in social cognition at which serotonin is an important neuromodulator. Its precursor is the essential amino acid tryptophan (TRP). Reduced TRP availability leads to weaker impulse control ability and higher aggression, while TRP supplementation promotes confidence. In a double-blind placebo-controlled fMRI study with 77 healthy adults, we investigated the influence of a 4 week TRP enriched diet and an acute 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) intake on two social-cognitive tasks, a moral evaluation and an emotion recognition task. With 5-HTP, immoral behavior without negative consequences was rated as more reprehensible. Additionally, during story reading, activation in insula and supramarginal gyrus was increased after TRP intake. No significant effects of TRP on emotion recognition were identified for the whole sample. Importantly, emotion recognition ability decreased with age which was for positive emotions compensated by TRP. Since the supramarginal gyrus is associated with empathy, pain and related information integration results could be interpreted as reflecting stricter evaluation of negative behavior due to better integration of information. Improved recognition of positive emotions with TRP in older participants supports the use of a TRP-rich diet to compensate for age related decline in social-cognitive processes.

Download Full-text

Social Cognition Deficits Are Pervasive across Both Classical and Overlap Frontotemporal Dementia Syndromes

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra ◽

10.1159/000511329 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 115-126

Author(s):

Faheem Arshad ◽

Avanthi Paplikar ◽

Shailaja Mekala ◽

Feba Varghese ◽

Vandana Valiyaparambath Purushothaman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Primary Progressive Aphasia ◽

Reactivity Index ◽

Limited Information ◽

Neural Basis ◽

Significant Impairment

Objectives: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) syndromes are a complex group of disorders characterised by profound changes in behaviour and cognition. Many of the observed behavioural abnormalities are now recognised to be due to impaired social cognition. While deficits in emotion recognition and empathy are well-recognised in behavioural-variant (Bv)FTD, limited information exists about the nature of social cognitive impairment in the language variant primary progressive aphasia (PPA) that includes progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA) and semantic dementia (SD), and in the motor variants FTD amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS) and FTD progressive supranuclear palsy (FTD-PSP). This prospective study sought to explore the nature and profile of social cognition deficits across the spectrum of FTD. Methods: Sixty patients on the FTD spectrum, i.e., classical (16 with BvFTD and 20 with PPA) and overlap FTD syndromes (13 with FTD-ALS and 11 with FTD-PSP) were evaluated by means of the social cognition tasks, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) for empathy, and pictures of facial affect (POFA) for emotion recognition. General cognition and behaviour were also assessed. Results: A significant impairment in emotion recognition and empathy was detected in both the classical and overlap FTD syndromes. The recognition of positive emotions was relatively preserved compared to that of negative emotions. Among the FTD subtypes, maximal impairment of empathy was demonstrated in FTD-PSP. Conclusion: Social cognition impairment is pervasive across the spectrum of FTD disorders, and tests of emotion recognition and empathy are clinically useful to identify the nature of behavioural problems in both classical and overlap FTD. Our findings also have implications for understanding the neural basis of social cognition in FTD.

Download Full-text

Effects of aging on emotion recognition from dynamic multimodal expressions and vocalizations

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82135-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Diana S. Cortes ◽

Christina Tornberg ◽

Tanja Bänziger ◽

Hillary Anger Elfenbein ◽

Håkan Fischer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Group Differences ◽

Significant Group ◽

Positivity Effect ◽

Video Recordings ◽

Age Related ◽

Effects Of Aging

AbstractAge-related differences in emotion recognition have predominantly been investigated using static pictures of facial expressions, and positive emotions beyond happiness have rarely been included. The current study instead used dynamic facial and vocal stimuli, and included a wider than usual range of positive emotions. In Task 1, younger and older adults were tested for their abilities to recognize 12 emotions from brief video recordings presented in visual, auditory, and multimodal blocks. Task 2 assessed recognition of 18 emotions conveyed by non-linguistic vocalizations (e.g., laughter, sobs, and sighs). Results from both tasks showed that younger adults had significantly higher overall recognition rates than older adults. In Task 1, significant group differences (younger > older) were only observed for the auditory block (across all emotions), and for expressions of anger, irritation, and relief (across all presentation blocks). In Task 2, significant group differences were observed for 6 out of 9 positive, and 8 out of 9 negative emotions. Overall, results indicate that recognition of both positive and negative emotions show age-related differences. This suggests that the age-related positivity effect in emotion recognition may become less evident when dynamic emotional stimuli are used and happiness is not the only positive emotion under study.

Download Full-text

Affective functioning and social cognition in Noonan syndrome

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291711001115 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 419-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

E. Wingbermühle ◽

J. I. M. Egger ◽

W. M. A. Verhoeven ◽

I. van der Burgt ◽

R. P. C. Kessels

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Noonan Syndrome ◽

Heart Defects ◽

Genetic Disorder ◽

Recognition Task ◽

Well Being ◽

Facial Emotion Recognition ◽

Facial Emotion ◽

Clinical Group

BackgroundNoonan syndrome (NS) is a common genetic disorder, characterized by short stature, facial dysmorphia, congenital heart defects and a mildly lowered IQ. Impairments in psychosocial functioning have often been suggested, without, however, systematic investigation in a clinical group. In this study, different aspects of affective processing, social cognition and behaviour, in addition to personal well-being, were assessed in a large group of patients with NS.MethodForty adult patients with NS were compared with 40 healthy controls, matched with respect to age, sex, intelligence and education level. Facial emotion recognition was measured with the Emotion Recognition Task (ERT), alexithymia with both the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Bermond–Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ), and mentalizing with the Theory of Mind (ToM) test. The Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Scale for Interpersonal Behaviour (SIB) were used to record aspects of psychological well-being and social interaction.ResultsPatients showed higher levels of cognitive alexithymia than controls. They also experienced more social distress, but the frequency of engaging in social situations did not differ. Facial emotion recognition was only slightly impaired.ConclusionsHigher levels of alexithymia and social discomfort are part of the behavioural phenotype of NS. However, patients with NS have relatively intact perception of emotions in others and unimpaired mentalizing. These results provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of social daily life functioning in this patient group.

Download Full-text

Cultural Variance and Invariance of Age Differences in Social Cognition

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.406 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Li Chu ◽

Yang Fang ◽

Vivian Hiu-Ling Tsang ◽

Helene H. Fung

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Cultural Influences ◽

Biological Aging ◽

Aging Research ◽

Age Related ◽

Norms And Values ◽

The One

Cognitive processing of social and nonsocial information changes with age. These processes range from the ones that serve “mere” cognitive functions, such as recall strategies and reasoning, to those that serve functions that pertain to self-regulation and relating to others. However, aging and the development of social cognition unfold in different cultural contexts, which may assume distinct social norms and values. Thus, the resulting age-related differences in cognitive and social cognitive processes may differ across cultures. On the one hand, biological aging could render age-related differences in social cognition universal; on the other hand, culture may play a role in shaping some age-related differences. Indeed, many aspects of cognition and social cognition showed different age and culture interactions, and this makes the study of these phenomena more complex. Future aging research on social cognition should take cultural influences into consideration.

Download Full-text

Neuronal correlates of affective theory of mind in schizophrenia out-patients: evidence for a baseline deficit

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291709992133 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 40 (10) ◽

pp. 1607-1617 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

D. Mier ◽

C. Sauer ◽

S. Lis ◽

C. Esslinger ◽

J. Wilhelm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Facial Expressions ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Functional Brain Imaging ◽

Control Group ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Schizophrenia Group

BackgroundSchizophrenia out-patients have deficits in affective theory of mind (ToM) but also on more basal levels of social cognition, such as the processing of neutral and emotional expressions. These deficits are associated with changes in brain activation in the amygdala and the superior temporal sulcus (STS). However, until now there have been no studies that examined these different levels of social cognition and their neurobiological underpinnings in patients within one design.MethodSixteen medicated schizophrenia out-patients and 16 matched healthy controls were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a social cognition task that allows the investigation of affective ToM (aToM), emotion recognition and the processing of neutral facial expressions.ResultsPatients showed a deficit in emotion recognition and a more prominent deficit in aToM. The performance in aToM and in emotion recognition was correlated in the control group but not in the schizophrenia group. Region-of-interest analysis of functional brain imaging data revealed no difference between groups during aToM, but a hyperactivation in the schizophrenia group in the left amygdala and right STS during emotion recognition and the processing of neutral facial expressions.ConclusionsThe results indicate that schizophrenia out-patients have deficits at several levels of social cognition and provide the first evidence that deficits on higher-order social cognitive processes in schizophrenia may be traced back to an aberrant processing of faces per se.

Download Full-text

Meta-analysis of social cognition in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): comparison with healthy controls and autistic spectrum disorder

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291715002573 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 699-716 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

E. Bora ◽

C. Pantelis

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Social Cognition ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Cognitive Deficits ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Social Cognitive Deficits

BackgroundImpairment in social cognition is an established finding in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Emerging evidence suggests that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be also associated with deficits in theory of mind (ToM) and emotion recognition. However, there are inconsistent findings, and it has been debatable whether such deficits persist beyond childhood and how similar social cognitive deficits are in ADHD v. ASD.MethodWe conducted a meta-analysis of social cognition, including emotion recognition and ToM, studies in ADHD compared with healthy controls and ASD. The current meta-analysis involved 44 studies comparing ADHD (n = 1999) with healthy controls (n = 1725) and 17 studies comparing ADHD (n = 772) with ASD (n = 710).ResultsFacial and vocal emotion recognition (d = 0.40–0.44) and ToM (d = 0.43) abilities were significantly impaired in ADHD. The most robust facial emotion recognition deficits were evident in anger and fear. Social cognitive deficits were either very subtle (emotion recognition) or non-significant (ToM) in adults with ADHD. Deficits in social cognition, especially ToM, were significantly more pronounced in ASD compared with ADHD. General cognitive impairment has contributed to social cognitive deficits in ADHD.ConclusionsPerformance of individuals with ADHD on social cognition lies intermediate between ASD and healthy controls. However, developmental trajectories of social cognition probably differ between ADHD and ASD as social cognitive deficits in ADHD might be improving with age in most individuals. There is a need for studies investigating a potential subtype of ADHD with persistent social cognitive deficits and exploring longitudinal changes in social cognition during development.

Download Full-text

Facial emotion recognition in schizotypy: The role of accuracy and social cognitive bias

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s135561771000007x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 474-483 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

LAURA A. BROWN ◽

ALEX S. COHEN

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Life Quality ◽

Recognition Task ◽

Facial Emotion Recognition ◽

Facial Emotion ◽

Schizotypal Personality

AbstractFacial emotion recognition deficits have been widely investigated in individuals with schizophrenia; however, it remains unclear whether these deficits reflect a trait-like vulnerability to schizophrenia pathology present in individuals at risk for the disorder. Although some studies have investigated emotion recognition in this population, findings have been mixed. The current study uses a well-validated emotion recognition task, a relatively large sample, and examines the relationship between emotion recognition, symptoms, and overall life quality. Eighty-nine individuals with psychometrically defined schizotypy and 27 controls completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, Penn Emotion Recognition Test, and a brief version of Lehman’s Quality of Life Interview. In addition to labeling facial emotions, participants rated the valence of faces using a Likert rating scale. Individuals with schizotypy were significantly less accurate than controls when labeling emotional faces, particularly neutral faces. Within the schizotypy sample, both disorganization symptoms and lower quality of life were associated with a bias toward perceiving facial expressions as more negative. Our results support previous research suggesting that poor emotion recognition is associated with vulnerability to psychosis. Although emotion recognition appears unrelated to symptoms, it probably operates by means of different processes in those with particular types of symptoms. (JINS, 2010, 16, 474–483.)

Download Full-text

Social cognition impairments in long-term opiate users in treatment

Journal of Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1177/0269881119875981 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 254-263

Author(s):

Gill Terrett ◽

Kimberly Mercuri ◽

Elizabeth Pizarro-Campagna ◽

Laila Hugrass ◽

H Valerie Curran ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Facial Expressions ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Facial Emotion Recognition ◽

Facial Emotion ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Facial Mimicry

Background: Long-term opiate users experience pervasive social difficulties, but there has been surprisingly limited research focused on social-cognitive functioning in this population. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether three important aspects of social cognition (facial emotion recognition, theory of mind (ToM) and rapid facial mimicry) differ between long-term opiate users and healthy controls. Methods: The participants were 25 long-term opiate users who were enrolled in opiate substitution programmes, and 25 healthy controls. Facial emotion recognition accuracy was indexed by responses to 60 photographs of faces depicting the six basic emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and disgust). ToM was assessed using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task, which requires participants to infer mental states of others from partial facial cues. Rapid facial mimicry was assessed by recording activity in the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscle regions while participants passively viewed images of happy and angry facial expressions. Results: Relative to the control group, the opiate user group exhibited deficits in both facial emotion recognition and ToM. Moreover, only control participants exhibited typical rapid facial mimicry responses to happy facial expressions. Conclusions: These data indicate that long-term opiate users exhibit abnormalities in three distinct areas of social-cognitive processing, pointing to the need for additional work to establish how social-cognitive functioning relates to functional outcomes in this group. Such work may ultimately inform the development of interventions aimed at improving treatment outcomes for long-term opiate users.

Download Full-text

Variation in the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Is Associated With Social Cognition and ADHD

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054717706757 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (7) ◽

pp. 702-711 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tuğba Kalyoncu ◽

Burcu Özbaran ◽

Sezen Köse ◽

Hüseyin Onay

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Receptor Gene ◽

Recognition Task ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Oxytocin Receptor Gene ◽

Children With Adhd ◽

Adhd Children

Objective: Children with ADHD show substantial deficits in social cognitive abilities. Oxytocin, mediated through its specific receptor (OXTR), is involved in the regulation of social behavior and social cognition. Method: The entire coding sequence of the human OXT and OXTR genes were sequenced to identify mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 151 children with ADHD (ADHD-combined, n = 51; inattentive subtype, n = 50; ADHD-C plus conduct disorder [CD], n = 50; 11-18 years) and 100 healthy controls. Results: We examined the association of three detected SNPs of OXTR with social cognition deficits. A significant association was shown between the children with ADHD and children with CT/TT genotypes of rs4686302 (χ2 = 3.695; p = .037). ADHD children with CT/TT genotype for the OXTR rs4686302 performed significantly lower on the facial emotion recognition task than those with CC genotype. Conclusion: OXTR rs4686302 polymorphism was shown to be a genetic marker in social cognition deficits in ADHD children.

Download Full-text

Heritability of social cognitive skills in children and adolescents

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.175.6.559 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 175 (6) ◽

pp. 559-564 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Jane Scourfield ◽

Neilson Martin ◽

Glyn Lewis ◽

Peter McGuffin

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Environmental Influences ◽

Population Based ◽

Genetic Influence ◽

Behaviour Problems ◽

Social Situations ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Changes

BackgroundSocial cognitive skills are those which enable understanding of social situations; they are relevant to a variety of psychiatric disorders including autism, schizophrenia and externalising behaviour problems in children.AimsTo examine the heritability of social cognitive skills.MethodUsing a population-based sample of twins aged 5–17, the genetic and environmental influences on social cognitive skills were examined.ResultsMale scores were higher than female scores (P < 0.001), indicating poorer social cognition among males. A heritability of 0.68 (95% CI 0.43–0.78) was found, with shared environmental influences accounting for only 0.05 of the variance (95% CI 0.00–0.28). This could be removed from the model without worsening the fit. There were no significant differences in genetic effects between the genders, but age-related changes were found, with younger twins showing greater genetic influence on social cognition.ConclusionsSocial cognition appears to be under considerable genetic influence in the population and shows significant male–female differences. No gender differences in genetic influences on the variance of scores were found, but the effects of age were significant.

Download Full-text