Social Cognition in Early Psychosis. Version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social Cognition in early psychosis: Characterisation, relationship with social function and response to cognitive remediation therapy.
IRAS ID
203925
Contact name
Eileen Joyce
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2016/06/106, UCL Data Protection Registration Number
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Social dysfunction is one of the most important factors associated with disability in schizophrenia. This develops soon after the first episode of psychosis even with the best available treatments. Early intervention with better treatments is crucial for improvement of outcome. Studies show that poor cognitive function is the strongest predictor of poor social function in schizophrenia. Cognitive function refers to processes such as memory, planning and problem solving, employed in everyday life, which are adversely effected early in schizophrenia. We are currently conducting a multi-centre study of cognitive remediation therapy (CRT), aimed at improving cognition and therefore social function in people attending NHS Early Intervention for Psychosis Services.
A different form of cognition – social cognition – is also thought to be disturbed in schizophrenia. This refers to psychological processes involved in understanding the behaviour and motives of other people in social situations. Studies suggest that poor social cognition also contributes to poor social function in schizophrenia but we do not know when this develops or what specific types of social cognition are affected early in the illness.
In a subset of the participants in our CRT trial we will: i) characterise social cognition using established tests of mentalising, social perception, attributional bias, emotion processing and empathy; ii) determine the effect of social cognition on social function; iii) examine the potentially adverse moderating effects of cannabis use and duration of untreated psychosis on social function; iv) examine the mediation effect of social function on the relationship between non-social cognition and social function. We will also test the hypothesis that that poor social cognition adversely affects positive outcomes following CRT. If true this will suggest that, in future, CRT will need to include therapy aimed at remediation of both social and non-social cognition.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0326
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jul 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion