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Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders are currently conceptualized as distinct clinical categories. However, the relationship between these two nosological entities has been revisited in recent years due to the evidence that they share some important clinical and neurobiological features, putting into question the nature and the extent of their commonalities and differences. In this respect, some core symptoms that are present in both disorders, such as social cognitive deficits, could be a primary target of investigation. This review briefly summarizes the commonalities and overlapping features between schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders in social cognitive functions, considering this construct in a Research Domain Criteria perspective. The clinical manifestation of deficits in social cognition are similar in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and autism spectrum disorders, and brain areas that appear to be altered in relation to these impairments are largely shared; however, the results of various studies suggest that, in some cases, the qualitative nature of these alterations may be different in the two spectra. Moreover, relevant differences could be present at the level of brain networks and connections. More research is required in this field, regarding molecular and genetic aspects of both spectra, to better define the neurobiological mechanisms involved in social cognition deficits, with the objective of developing specific and targeted treatments.
Highlights
Social cognition (SC) can be broadly defined as a domain encompassing all the cognitive processes related to interpersonal contacts and to the perception of oneself and others in the social environment [1, 2]
There is a strong agreement in all the results reported showing that compared to healthy controls, 22q11.2 CNV subjects showed significantly poorer SC such as emotion differentiation, emotion recognition, lie detection, sarcasm detection
The brain areas that appear to be altered in relation to deficits of SC are largely shared in Spectrum Disorders (SSD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD); the results of various studies suggest that, in some cases, the qualitative nature of these alterations may be different in the two spectra
Summary
Social cognition (SC) can be broadly defined as a domain encompassing all the cognitive processes related to interpersonal contacts and to the perception of oneself and others in the social environment [1, 2] It includes a wide range of abilities, from basic ones such as recognition and processing of emotions in facial expressions and tones of voice, to more complex skills involving the attribution of Social Cognition in Schizophrenia and Autism mental states or the perception and understanding of social cues and contexts. These processes regulate and determine social behaviors and are closely linked to interpersonal relationships and social functioning [3]. These SC deficits appear to have an impact on functional and social skills in subjects with ASD in the presence of a normal Intelligence Quotient (IQ) [25]
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