Dong-jie Xie

Evidence of structural invariance across three groups of Meehlian schizotypes.

According to Meehl’s model of schizotypy, there is a latent personality organization associated with the diathesis for schizophrenia that can be identified in several ways. We sought to examine the structural invariance of four Chapman psychosis–proneness scales (CPPS) across three groups of putative schizotypes, namely, clinically-, biologically-, and psychometrically-identified schizotypes. We examined the factor structure of the Perceptual Aberration (PER), Magical Ideation (MIS), Revised Social Anhedonia (RSAS), and Revised Physical Anhedonia (RPAS) scales in 196 schizophrenia patients, 197 non-psychotic first-degree relatives, and 1,724 non-clinical young adults. The confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the best-fitting model was one in which there is a two-factor model with negative schizotypy (RSAS and RPAS) and positive schizotypy (PER and MIS). All three samples fit the model well, with Comparative Fit Indices>0.95 and Tucker Lewis Indices>0.90. The root mean square error of approximations were all small (P values⩽0.01). We also observed that for both anhedonia scales, the groups’ mean scale scores varied in the hypothesized direction, as predicted by Meehl’s model of schizotypy. All three Chinese samples, namely, the patients (clinical schizotypes), relatives (biologically-identified schizotypes), and non-clinical young adults (containing psychometrically-identified schizotypes) showed the same factorial structure. This finding supports the suitability of the CPPS for cross-cultural and/or genetic investigations of schizotypy.

Validation of the Chinese version of the Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale

Social anhedonia, the reduced capacity for social and interpersonal pleasure, often accompanies several forms of psychopathology. The goal of the present study was to validate the Chinese translation of the Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale (ACIPS), a promising new tool for the assessment of individual differences in social pleasure. The Chinese versions of the ACIPS, the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS), and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) were administered to 389 nonclinical adults. Factor analysis revealed that a four-factor structure accounted for nearly 53% of the variance, and the factors were consistent with those identified from factor analyses of the ACIPS in Western (U.S.) samples. The ACIPS measure showed high internal consistency as well. Correlational analysis revealed evidence of convergent validity. Individuals who scored high on the ACIPS were more likely to score high on measures of anticipatory and consummatory pleasure. Moreover, ACIPS total scores were inversely associated with scores on the No Close Friends subscale and the Constricted Affect subscale of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). Taken together, the findings suggest that the Chinese translation of the ACIPS is a reliable, valid measure that can be used to assess individual differences in the capacity to experience social and interpersonal pleasure in Chinese individuals.

Grey matter reduction in the caudate nucleus in patients with persistent negative symptoms: An ALE meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES In the present study, we used Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to quantitatively examine brain grey matter reduction in schizophrenia patients with persistent negative symptoms (PNS). METHOD A total of 12 voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies were included in ALE meta-analysis using more stringent criterion of PNS. RESULTS Significant grey matter reduction in the PNS group relative to controls was observed in the left caudate nucleus, the left precentral region, the left middle frontal region, the bilateral parahippocampal region, the left anterior cingulate region, the bilateral medial frontal gyrus, the thalamus and the insula. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that brain regions in the reward network may be specifically related to PNS, especially the left caudate nucleus. It is possible that abnormality in reward processing may constitute the neural basis of PNS.

Revisiting the persistent negative symptoms proxy score using the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms

OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to validate a severity cut-off of negative symptoms for persistent negative symptoms (PNS) identification using the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS). METHOD A total of 206 patients with schizophrenia were recruited and divided into the PNS group (n = 57) and the Non-PNS group (n = 149) using PNS criteria based on the SANS and the SAPS. To determine the appropriate cut-offs on the CAINS in identifying PNS, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted in the PNS and Non-PNS groups. RESULTS Our results showed that the cutoffs for identifying PNS on the CAINS total score, the Motivation and Pleasure (MAP) subscale score and the Expression (EXP) subscale score were 25, 17, and 5 respectively. Area Under the Curve (AUC) analysis indicated excellent discrimination of the PNS group from the Non-PNS group using the cut-off for the CAINS total score. However, discrimination was somewhat better for the MAP subscale score than the EXP subscale score. The Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of the MAP subscale were 81.54% and 97.16%. CONCLUSION We found that the cut-off scores derived from the CAINS to identify PNS are comparable to existing scales. The CAINS offers an alternative means in identifying PNS patients in clinical trials that overcomes methodological and conceptual limitations of older scales.

An attempt at revisiting the factor structure of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire in the Chinese setting: Factor analysis of the DEX

This study examined the factor structure of the Chinese version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) in a large nonclinical sample of college students (n = 1,586). All participants completed the self-report version of the DEX. An exploratory factor analysis was first performed on a sub-sample (randomly split, n = 766) and produced a four-factor model (Volition, Intentionality, Inhibition, and Abstract Problem-Solving), which was similar to previous models reported in Western samples. In addition, a series of confirmatory factor analyses was conducted on the remaining sample (n = 820). The findings suggested that a four-factor solution of the self-report DEX might better explain the latent structure in the present healthy Chinese sample.

Prospection deficits in schizophrenia: Evidence from clinical and subclinical samples.

Previous research has revealed anticipatory pleasure deficits in people with schizophrenia and people with social anhedonia but who do not have schizophrenia. Prospection is an important component of anticipatory pleasure, but little is known about the role of prospection in social anhedonia. In 2 studies, we investigated prospection and anticipatory pleasure in people with schizophrenia and people with social anhedonia using an affective prospection task and a self-report measure, the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS). In Study 1, we found that people with schizophrenia (n = 31) reported less TEPS anticipatory pleasure, generated less rich and vivid prospections, and reported less preexperiencing of future events than people without schizophrenia (n = 29). In Study 2, we found that people with social anhedonia (n = 34) reported less TEPS anticipatory pleasure, generated less rich prospections, and reported less pleasure and preexperiencing for future events than people without social anhedonia (n = 33). Taken together, prospection impairments and decreased anticipatory pleasure were observed in schizophrenia and social anhedonia.

Profiling of experiential pleasure, emotional regulation and emotion expression in patients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND Emotion deficits may be the basis of negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients and they are prevalent in these patients. However, inconsistent findings about emotion deficits in schizophrenia suggest that there may be subtypes. AIM The present study aimed to examine and profile experiential pleasure, emotional regulation and expression in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS A set of checklists specifically capturing experiential pleasure, emotional regulation, emotion expression, depressive symptoms and anhedonia were administered to 146 in-patients with schizophrenia and 73 demographically-matched healthy controls. Psychiatric symptoms and negative symptoms were also evaluated by a trained psychiatrist for patients with schizophrenia. RESULTS Two-stage cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis were used to analyze the profile of these measures in patients with schizophrenia. We found a three-cluster solution. Cluster 1 (n=41) was characterized by a deficit in experiential pleasure and emotional regulation, Cluster 2 (n=47) was characterized by a general deficit in experiential pleasure, emotional regulation and emotion expression, and Cluster 3 (n=57) was characterized by a deficit in emotion expression. Results of a discriminant function analysis indicated that the three groups were reasonably discrete. CONCLUSION The present findings suggest that schizophrenia patients can be classified into three subtypes based on experiential pleasure, emotional regulation and emotion expression, which are characterized by distinct clinical representations.