Reading The Mind In The Eyes Test Scores Research Articles

Theory of mind abilities during the course of bipolar disorder: A longitudinal study using mixed models

Theory of mind (ToM) deficits, difficulties in recognizing the intentions, propensities, and beliefs of others have been shown in individuals with bipolar disorder in several studies; however, it is not yet elucidated how ToM abilities changes over the course of bipolar disorder and is related to illness symptoms. This is one of the first longitudinal studies to compare the ToM abilities of euthymic bipolar individuals and healthy controls over a four and a half years period. ToM abilities were measured using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). A total of 91 euthymic bipolar individuals and 91 healthy controls were included in the analyses. Linear mixed models were used to compare ToM abilities of bipolar individuals and healthy controls. It was found that bipolar individuals scored lower on average on the RMET than healthy controls and that these RMET scores were stable over four and a half years. The results of this study suggest that ToM deficits are a stable (possibly endophenotypic) trait of bipolar disorder. This understanding can contribute to better identification, assessment, and treatment strategies for individuals with bipolar disorder, ultimately improving their overall care and outcome.

The Relationship between Theory of Mind and Pragmatic Language Skills in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Children with Typical Development

Introduction: An outstanding research question is whether the interaction between theory of mind (ToM) and pragmatic language skills differs in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typical development. This study investigated the relationship between ToM and pragmatics in individuals with ASD and children with typical development (CTD) and between these skills and Test of Language Development (TOLD-TR) scores which were determined as a participant criterion. Method: Sixteen individuals with ASD with TOLD-TR test equivalent age 7;0-8;11 and 46 CTD aged 6;0-8;11 were included. Child Form of Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Strange Stories Test, and Pragmatic Language Skills Inventory (PLSI) were used. Findings: PLSI and RMET scores as well as PLSI and Strange Stories scores did not significantly correlate in the ASD group. Nevertheless, in CTD, there were many weak-to-moderate level significant relationships between Strange Stories and PLSI subtest scores. In both groups, there were significant relationships between all TOLD-TR subtest scores and Strange Stories scores, except for TOLD-TR Syntactic Understanding in the ASD group. Numerous weak-to-strong correlations between TOLD-TR and PLSI scores as well as between TOLD-TR and ToM scores were found in the CTD group. In the ASD group, however, moderate-to-strong relationships between Strange Stories and the TODIL composite, between Sentence Comprehension and Morpheme Completion, and between RMET and Morpheme Completion. Discussion: It emerged that groups could have different patterns of interaction between these variables. The lack of correlation between ToM and pragmatics in ASD may be explained by the relatively small sample size and the fact that the norm group of the PLSI was largely composed of CTD. Additionally, the importance of sentence and syntax comprehension in ToM was revealed.

The role of Theory of Mind in the transition towards suicidal attempts in youth NSSI: an exploratory pilot study.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) can both precede and co-occur with suicidal attempts (SA). Underlying mechanisms/factors leading to the transition to SA in NSSI youths have been proposed (including the role of social cognition), despite they should be yet confirmed. Therefore, the study aims at exploring the role of the Theory of Mind in the differentiation of a sample of NSSI youngsters (aged 15-24) according to the presence of SA. We divided the sample into 4 groups using the Deliberate Self Harm Inventory (DSHI) and Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS): control group (notNSSInotSA), NSSI without SA (NSSInotSA), NSSI with SA (NSSIplusSA), and SA without NSSI (SAonly). NSSIplusSA patients displayed higher Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) scores (indicative of ToM abilities) than both the NSSInotSA (p=0.0016) and SAonly groups (p=0.0198), while SAonly patients showed lower RMET scores compared to the control group (p=0.0214). Multiple regression models used to differentiate NSSInotSA and NSSIplusSA found a significant association between RMET and LOSCS-CSC (Level Of Self-Criticism Scale-Comparative Self-Criticism) (pC=0.0802, pD=0.0016, pG=0.0053). Our findings supported the hypothesis that a hypertrophic affective ToM may possibly be associated with the occurrence of SA in youth NSSI. Further larger and longitudinal studies should confirm these preliminary findings, by exploring all social cognition dimensions.

Emotion recognition and baseline cortisol levels relationship in early Alzheimer disease

BackgroundEmotion recognition is often impaired in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and can be evaluated using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Similarly, cortisol levels can affect cognition and could be considered a biomarker of AD. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the emotion recognition task and cortisol levels in participants with early Alzheimer Disease (AD). MethodsComplex emotion recognition was assessed with RMET, and plasma cortisol levels were determined by mass spectrometry in participants classified into mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (n = 25), mild dementia (MD) due to AD (n = 20), MCI non-AD (n = 34), MD non-AD (n = 13) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 16) groups. ResultsSignificantly lower positive emotion recognition was found in the MCI non-AD group (p = 0.02) and lower emotion recognition in MD (AD and non-AD) groups (p < 0.01) compared to the healthy group. In addition, significant differences were observed between cortisol and all RMET scores among the MCI and MD groups (p < 0.01). A significant correlation was also obtained between total and neutral RMET scores and cortisol levels in MD groups (p = 0.01). ConclusionsThese outcomes suggest that detection of positive emotion dysfunction could help to identify MCI non-AD patients. Furthermore, general impaired emotion recognition and high cortisol levels may be associated with cognitive impairment at mild dementia level.

Emotional Recognition and Its Relation to Cognition, Mood and Fatigue in Relapsing–Remitting and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

(1) Background: Emotional recognition (ER), the ability to read into others' minds and recognize others' emotional states, is important in social environment adaptation. Recently it has been found that ER difficulties affect patients with multiple sclerosis (pMS) and relate to different gray matter atrophy patterns from secondary progressive (SP-pMS) and relapsing-remitting (RR-pMS). The aim of this study was to compare the performances of the two MS phenotypes on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMEt) and other cognitive, mood and fatigue measures. We also examined associations between performance on the RMEt and cognitive, mood and fatigue variables. (2) Methods: A total of 43 pMS (27RR-pMS/16SP-pMS) underwent a clinical assessment, the RMEt, the cognitive battery, and completed mood and fatigue questionnaires. Both groups' performances on the RMEt were then correlated with all these measures. (3) Results: the RMEt scores of RR-pMS were significantly correlated with the impairment degree in some cognitive scores. SP-pMS scores correlated mainly with fatigue, anxiety, anger and depression. (4) Conclusions: ER performances relate to cognitive aspects in RR-pMS, whereas mainly to mood outcomes in the SP-pMS group. We can hypothesize that deficits in ER are a further sign of disease progression. Our data support the different roles of cognitive and emotional deficits related to different disease courses and lesional correlates.

Validity and diagnostics of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) in non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.

The aim of this study was to explore the construct validity and diagnostic properties of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) in non-demented patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A total of 61 consecutive patients and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were administered the 36-item RMET. Additionally, patients underwent a comprehensive assessment of social cognition via the Story-Based Empathy Task (SET), which encompasses three subtests targeting Causal Inference, Emotion Attribution (SET-EA), and Intention Attribution (SET-IA), as well as global cognitive [the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS)] and behavioral screening [the Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI); the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS); the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); and the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y]. The construct validity of the RMET was tested by regressing it within a stepwise model that encompassed as predictors the abovementioned cognitive and behavioral measures, covarying for demographic and motor confounders. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analyses allowed exploring intrinsic and post-test properties of the RMET both in discriminating patients from HCs and in identifying patients with a defective SET-EA performance. The RMET was solely predicted by the SET-EA (p = 0.003) and SET-IA (p = 0.005). RMET scores showed high accuracy both in discriminating patients from HCs (AUC = 0.81) and in identifying patients with a defective SET-EA score (AUC = 0.82), with adequate-to-optimal both intrinsic and post-test properties. The RMET is a convergently and divergently valid measure of affective social cognition in non-demented ALS patients, also featuring optimal intrinsic and post-test diagnostic properties in both case-control and case-finding scenarios.

The effect of intranasal oxytocin on processing emotional stimuli during alcohol withdrawal: A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial

Alcohol dependence is associated with difficulties in processing emotional stimuli, which can lead to interpersonal problems. The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to modulate the processing of emotional stimuli, however, oxytocin treatment has not yet been examined in patients with withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detoxification. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of oxytocin on the reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET), which indexes theory of mind ability, during a three-day period of alcohol detoxification at an addiction treatment centre in Norway. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 39 patients fulfilling criteria for ICD-10 diagnosis of alcohol dependence admitted for alcohol detoxification and withdrawal treatment. Participants were randomized to receive either intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo, twice daily for three days. We evaluated RMET performance on day 2 and day 3 of detoxification and differences in RMET scores between day 2 and day 3 of detoxification. Frequentist and Bayesian statistical inference suggested that oxytocin administration during alcohol withdrawal in alcohol-dependent patients did not improve RMET performance. However, exploratory analyses provided preliminary evidence that oxytocin might improve performance on the RMET negative emotion subscale (uncorrected p value = 0.038), and that oxytocin treatment might show the most promise for those with high levels of alcohol consumption (i.e., ≥20 alcohol units per day; uncorrected p value = 0.023). Moreover, alcohol consumption levels significantly predicted RMET performance on day 2, but not on day 3, of withdrawal.

The relationship between alexithymia, reading the mind in the eyes and cognition in patients with multiple sclerosis

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of alexithymia, difficulty in recognizing one's own and others' emotions, to determine the ability to read the mind in the eyes that evaluates the emotions of others, and to assess the relationship between these parameters and demographic characteristics, cognition, anxiety and depression in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Seventy patients presenting to the neurology clinic and diagnosed with MS and 70 healthy volunteers with similar demographic characteristics were included in the study. The California Verbal Learning Test II (CVLT II), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Revised Brief Visuospatial Memory Test (BVMT-R), and Trail-Making Test (TMT) were applied to determine all participants' cognitive status. All participants were also administered Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) for quality of life. Alexithymia levels were higher in the PwMS than in the control group, 24.2% of the PwMS and 4.2% of the control group being alexithymic. The PwMS group exhibited poorer performance on all cognitive tests and in BDI, BAI, FIS and SF-36 scale scores than the control group. No difference was determined between the groups' RMET scores. Depression and anxiety levels increased in line with alexithymia levels in the PwMS group, while RMET scores decreased. No association was determined between alexithymia levels and age, sex, duration of disease, degree of disability, cognition, or fatigue. RMET scores were not affected by age, sex, duration of disease, degree of disability, anxiety, or fatigue, but were lower among individuals with poor cognition and in depressive patients. Neuropsychiatric symptoms have been the subject of considerable research in MS in recent years and these clinical characteristics in patients have begun being closely monitored. PwMS are capable of experiencing difficulty in identifying emotions in themselves and others, and their social lives can be affected. In addition, the fact that this exhibits an association with cognition based on RMET is particularly noteworthy.

N400 differences between physical and mental metaphors: The role of Theories of Mind

Whether Theory of Mind (ToM) contributes to metaphor understanding has been largely investigated in language acquisition and decay. Yet we know very little about the role of ToM in real-time processing of metaphors in neurotypical adults. Here, we tested the relationship between ToM and metaphor through Event Related Potentials (ERPs) by capitalizing on the difference between metaphors inviting inferences on physical (Boxers are pandas) vs. mental aspects (Teachers are books). Physical metaphors involved a larger and sustained negativity compared to mental ones. This pattern resembled concreteness effects and suggests that physical metaphors may benefit from both verbal and perceptual information. Moreover, higher scores in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), but not in the Animation task, were associated with a reduction of the N400 amplitude for both physical and mental metaphors. When exploring the ERP temporal trajectory with Generalized Additive Mixed Modeling, earlier differences between metaphors characterized individuals with higher RMET scores. Among the various ToM components, thus, emotion recognition seems to be involved in the processing of metaphors in general, with an earlier impact on the mental type. These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of metaphor, at the crossroad of language, social and perceptual experience.

An evaluation to determine if reading the mind in the eyes scores can be improved through training.

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) has received attention due to its correlation with collective intelligence. If the RMET is a marker of collective intelligence, training to improve RMET could result in better teamwork, whether for human-human or human-AI (artificial intelligence) in composition. While training on related skills has proven effective in the literature, RMET training has not been studied. This research evaluates the development of RMET training, testing the impact of two training conditions (Naturalistic Training and Repeated RMET Practice) compared to a control. There were no significant differences in RMET scores due to training, but speed of response was positively correlated to RMET score for high-scoring participants. Both management professionals and AI creators looking to cultivate team skill through the application of the RMET may need to reconsider their tool selection.

Alexithymia, reading the mind in the eyes and empathy in patients with antisocial personality disorder

ObjectivesThis study was undertaken to compare subjects diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and healthy controls in terms of alexithymia, empathy and theory of mind. Material and methodsA total of 43 patients diagnosed with ASPD and 43 healthy controls were included. Study tools administered include the Sociodemographic Data Form, Barratt Impulsivity Scale - Version 11 (BIS-11), Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Empathy Quotient (EQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). ResultsAs compared to controls, patients had significantly lower RMET and total EQ scores (p<0.001) and significantly higher BIS total and planning, motor and attention, TAS-20 total, identifying feelings, describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking scores (p= 0.002; p=0.008; p <0.001; p<0.001; p<0.001; p<0.001; p<0.001; and p=0.017, respectively). There was a positive significant correlation between RMET and EQ scores (p=0.006, r=0.415), while EQ scores were negatively and significantly correlated with TAS-20 scores (p=0.001, r= -0.487). There was a significant negative correlation between EQ and BIS-11 scores (p< 0.001, r= -0.609), while a positive and significant correlation was identified between TAS-20 and BIS-11 scores (p=0.012, r=0.379). Patients with self-mutilating behaviors had significantly lower total RMET scores than patients without such behaviors (p=0.028). ConclusionIn conclusion, ASPD patients experience difficulty in reading the mind in the eyes, exhibit less empathy toward others, and have more pronounced alexithymia. Our observations suggest that ASPD patients experience challenges in the theory of mind concepts as well as in understanding and identifying the emotions of others and the self. We believe that comprehensive therapy programs specifically developed for ASPD patients and encompassing both the theory of mind and emotional perception may assist in improving these concepts that have significant roles in social interactions.

Relapsing-remitting and secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis patients differ in decoding others' emotions by their eyes.

Difficulties in emotion processing and social cognition identified in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have a potential impact on their adaptation to the social environment. We aimed to explore the neural correlates of emotion recognition in MS and possible differences between relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) patients by the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMEt). A total of 43 MS patients (27 RRMS, 16 SPMS) and 25 matched healthy controls (HC) underwent clinical assessments, RMEt, and a high-resolution T1-weighted 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The number of correct answers on the RMEt was compared between groups. T1-weighted volumes were processed according to an optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) protocol to obtain gray matter (GM) maps. Voxelwise analyses were run to assess potential associations between RMEt performance and regional GM volumes. Taken altogether, MS patients reported significantly lower performance on the RMEt compared to HC. When dividing the patients into those with RRMS and those with SPMS, only the latter group was found to perform significantly worse than HC on the RMEt. VBM analysis revealed significant association between RMEt scores and GM volumes in several cortical (temporoparieto-occipital cortex) and subcortical (hippocampus, parahippocampus, and basal ganglia) brain regions, and in the cerebellum in SPMS patients only. Results suggest that, in addition to other clinical differences between RRMS and SPMS, the ability to recognize others' emotional states may be affected in SPMS more significantly than RRMS patients. This is supported by both behavioral and MRI data.

Theory of Mind in Somatization and Depression: Is It Cause or Phenomenon?

Although mentalization is important in somatic symptom disorder (SSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), it is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between somatic and depressive symptoms with mentalization. A total of 48 patients diagnosed with SSD, 50 patients diagnosed with MDD, and 50 healthy individuals, participated the study. The Montgomery-Asperg Depression Scale, Symptom Checklist-90 Revised, and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) were applied to the participants. The patients with SSD showed significantly the lowest performance of theory of mind. There was no significant difference between MDD and healthy controls. High somatization score was found to be a predictor for low RMET scores (95% confidence interval, -0.339; p = 0.014). Mentalization deficit seems to be associated with somatization rather than depression.

Theory of mind failure and emotion dysregulation as contributors to peer bullying among adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

ABSTRACT This study investigated whether poor performance in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and emotion dysregulation (ED) contributes to involvement in bullying among adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Altogether, 105 adolescents with ADHD aged 10–18 years (mean: 13.9±1.8 years, 77% boys) were recruited. RMET was applied to evaluate the ToM abilities. Participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire to measure ED and evaluate involvement in bullying, respectively. Among the subjects, 24.8% were victims, 23.8% were perpetrators. The perpetrators and victims exhibited significantly lower RMET scores and higher DERS awareness scores than non-victims/non-perpetrators. The perpetrators also exhibited significantly higher DERS impulse scores and DERS total scores than non-victims/non-perpetrators. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that a 1-point decrease in the RMET score increased the odds of bullying victimization by 53% and bullying perpetration by 21.6%, while a 1-point increase in DERS impulse scores increased the risk of bullying perpetration by 14.9%. This study is the first to show an association between poor ToM ability and involvement in bullying as victims/perpetrators among children with ADHD. Both victims and perpetrators had problems with emotional awareness, while only perpetrators had difficulties controlling their impulses.

Mentalization in female adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury and alexithymic and depressive features in their parents.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a condition with debilitating consequences. We aimed to assess the mentalization skills of female adolescents with NSSI and parents who showed alexithymia and depressive symptoms. Ours was a case-control study. Thirty adolescents with NSSI were recruited into the case group, 31 adolescents were recruited into the control group. Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children - Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) were applied. The Inventory of Statements about Self-Injury was used. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were given to parents. There were no significant differences between two groups for RMET and parental TAS-20 scores. Maternal BDI scores were found to be significantly higher in the NSSI group. There were no significant differences for paternal BDI. RMET scores correlated negatively with maternal BDI scores. Major depression was found to be the most common diagnosis in the NSSI group. Because maternal depressive features seem to be related to NSSI, a detailed psychiatric examination of mothers should be carried out. Studies with larger samples or different designs are needed for a better understanding of the mentalization in NSSI.

Social and Neurocognitive Deficits in Remitted Patients with Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective and Bipolar Disorder.

This study assesses the empathy level, cognitive performance and emotion recognition skills of remitted patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, and also explores the relationship between impairments in the mentioned domains. The study was performed on 77 subjects divided into two groups: PAT sample (N = 37) included remitted patients with either schizophrenia, schizoaffective or bipolar disorder who were compared with healthy control subjects from the HC sample (N = 40). Along with sociodemographic and clinical data, empathy levels (using EQ (Empathy Quotient) scale), the ability to recognize another person’s emotional state (using RMET (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test)), and cognitive performance (using MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) Scale) were investigated. The intensity of the psychiatric symptoms was measured with BPRS-E (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale—Expanded). The remitted patients had lower EQ (p = 0.02) and RMET (p < 0.0001) scores than the healthy subjects. In the PAT group, RMET scores were positively correlated with MoCA total scores. Both EQ and RMET scores were negatively correlated with BPRS-E total scores. Psychiatric disorder was a significant predictor for deficits in emotion recognition. There were no significant differences in RMET, EQ and MoCA scores between patients with respect to diagnosis, the type of antipsychotic or the associated medication. In both samples, females had higher empathy levels (p = 0.04) and better emotion recognition abilities (p = 0.04) than males. Patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective or bipolar disorder, currently in remission, displayed lower empathy levels and poorer emotion recognition skills than healthy subjects. Poor emotion recognition skills were associated with symptom severity and impairments in global cognition.

Age- and Sex-Specific Standard Scores for the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test.

The reliable, valid and economic assessment of social cognition is more relevant than ever in the field of clinical psychology. Theory of Mind is one of the most important socio-cognitive abilities but standardized assessment instruments for adults are rare. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is well-established and captures the ability to identify mental states from gaze. Here, we computed standard scores for the German version of the RMET derived from a large, community-dwelling sample of healthy adults (20–79 years). The standardization sample contains 966 healthy adult individuals of the population-based Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE) study. Before standardization, weighting factors were applied to match the current sample with distribution characteristics of the German population regarding age, sex, and education. RMET scores were translated into percentage ranks for men and women of five age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60+ years). Age-specific percentage ranks are provided for men and women. Independent of age, men present a larger variance in test scores compared to women. Within the specific age groups, women score higher and their scoring range is less variable. With increasing age, the scoring variance increases in both men and women. This is the first study providing age- and sex-specific RMET standard scores. Data was weighted to match German population characteristics, enabling the application of standard scores across German-speaking areas. Our results contribute to the standardized assessment of socio-cognitive abilities in clinical diagnostics.

Dikkat Eksikliği Hiperaktivite Bozukluğu olan Çocuklarda Serum Zonulin Düzeyleri ve Sosyal Biliş

Aim: Alterations in gut-brain axis of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been indicated in recent studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether serum level of zonulin, considered to be a regulator of permeability in both gut-blood and blood-brain barriers, was associated with ADHD symptoms, and to evaluate the relationship between zonulin and social cognition in children with ADHD.&#x0D; Material and Methods: Serum level of zonulin was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 40 treatment-naive children with ADHD, and age and gender matched 40 healthy children as control group. DuPaul ADHD Rating Scale was used for ADHD symptoms and reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET) was administered by the clinician to examine the social cognitive abilities.&#x0D; Results: We found that serum zonulin levels were significantly higher in ADHD group compared to control group (p=0.010). Also, children with ADHD have significantly lower RMET scores (p=0.007). Furthermore, we found statistically significant positive correlations between serum zonulin levels and ADHD symptoms (p

Impaired Performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test in First-Episode Psychosis and Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.

ObjectiveAlthough previous studies have reported impaired performance in the reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET), which measures complex emotion recognition abilities, in patients with schizophrenia, reports regarding individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis have been inconsistent, mainly due to the interacting confounding effects of general cognitive abilities and age. We compared RMET performances across first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, CHR individuals, and healthy controls (HCs) while controlling for the effects of both general cognitive abilities and age. MethodsA total of 25 FEP, 41 CHR, and 44 HC subjects matched for age participated in this study. RMET performance scores were compared across the groups using analysis of variance with sex and intelligence quotient as covariates. Exploratory Pearson’s correlation analyses were performed to reveal the potential relationships of RMET scores with clinical symptom severity in the FEP and CHR groups. ResultsRMET performance scores were significantly lower among FEP and CHR participants than among HCs. FEP patients and CHR subjects showed comparable RMET performance scores. RMET scores were negatively correlated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive symptom subscale scores in the FEP patients. No significant correlation was identified between RMET scores and other clinical scale scores. ConclusionImpaired RMET performance is present from the risk stage of psychosis, which might be related to positive symptom severity in early psychosis. Longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm the stability of complex emotion recognition impairments and their relationship with social functioning in early psychosis patients.

I Cannot Read Your Eye Expression: Suicide Attempters Have Difficulties in Interpreting Complex Social Emotions.

Background: The ability to differentiate emotions in social contexts is important for dealing with challenging social situations. Suicide attempters show some difficulties in emotion recognition that may result in hypersensitivity to social stress. However, other studies on the recognition of social complex emotions found that suicide attempters have similar performances as depressed non-attempters.Objectives: To investigate differences in social emotion recognition in patients with current Major Depressive Episode (MDE) with and without history of suicide attempt.Methods: Two hundred and ten patients with MDE were recruited among whom 115 had lifetime history of suicide attempt (suicide attempters, SA) and 95 did not (affective controls, AC). Recognition of complex social emotions was assessed using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Emotions were separated in three valence categories: positive, negative, and neutral. Verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) and attention were measured with the National Adult Reading Task (NART) and the d2 test, respectively.Results: Mixed logistic regression models adjusted for sex, lifetime bipolar disorder, verbal IQ and attention showed that the RMET performance for neutral emotions was worse in the SA than AC group (OR = 0.87 [0.75, 0.99]). Furthermore, when violent/serious SA were compared to non-violent/non-serious SA and AC, the RMET neutral valence category showed a trend for group factor (p < 0.059) and RMET scores were lower in the violent/serious SA than AC group (OR = 0.79 [0.64, 0.96]).Conclusion: Recognition of neutral emotions is poor in SA and this may complicate their daily life. Interventions to improve the understanding of complex emotions may be helpful to prevent suicidal risk in patients with depression.