Anomalous Echo: Exploring Abnormal Experience Correlates of Emotional Motor Resonance in Schizophrenia Spectrum

Abstract

Introduction Anomalous experiences such as Basic Symptoms (BS) are considered to be the first subjective manifestation of the neurobiological substrate of schizophrenia. Recently it has been outlined indeed, how various aspects of the phenomenological basic self-disorders occurring in schizophrenia may correlate with neurocognitive disturbances. Objectives/Aims The purpose of this study is to explore whether a low or high emotional motor resonance occurring in Schizophrenia Spectrum (SzSp) patients is related to patients' clinical features and to their anomalous subjective experiences as indexed by the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms (BSABS). Methods We employed a validated paradigm sensitive in evoking a congruent facial mimicry (measured by means of facial Electromyographic activity, EMG) through multimodal positive and negative emotional stimuli presentation. Results Results showed that SzSp patients more resonating with negative emotional stimuli (i.e., Externalizersfor negative emotions), had significantly higher scores in BSABS Cluster 3 (Vulnerability) and more psychotic episodes than patients belonging to the Internalizers group. On the other hand, SzSp patients more resonating with positive emotional stimuli (i.e., Externalizers for positive emotions), scored higher in BSABS Cluster 5 (Interpersonal Irritation) than patients belonging to the Internalizers group. Conclusions Drawing upon a phenomenological-based perspective, we shed new light on the abnormal experiences characterizing SzSp conditions, explaining them in terms of a disruption of the normal self-perception conveyed by the more basic, automatic, low-level emotional motor mechanisms. The importance of adopting a trans-domain approach integrating findings from the phenomenological and the neurophysiological levels of analysis is further emphasized.