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Adamczyk P, Biczak J, Kotlarska K, Daren A, Cichocki Ł. On the specificity of figurative language comprehension impairment in schizophrenia and its relation to cognitive skills but not psychopathological symptoms - Study on metaphor, humor and irony. Schizophr Res Cogn 2024; 35:100294. [PMID: 37928747 PMCID: PMC10624582 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2023.100294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
People with schizophrenia have difficulty understanding figurative expressions, such as metaphors, humor or irony. The present study investigated the specificity of figurative language impairment in schizophrenia and its relation with cognitive and psychotic symptoms. It included 54 schizophrenia and 54 age and sex-matched healthy subjects who performed a cognitive screening (ACE-III) and figurative language comprehension task consisting of 60 short stories with three types of endings: a figurative one and its literal and an absurd (meaningless) counterparts. Each figurative domain - metaphor, humor, irony - was split into two sub-domains, i.e., conventional and novel metaphors, intended-to-be-funny and social-norm-violation jokes, simple irony and critical sarcasm, respectively. The main findings are: i) in schizophrenia, figurative language deficit manifests itself in each domain; ii) the most pronounced subdomain-specific impairment has been found for novel vs conventional metaphors and irony vs sarcasm; iii) altered figurative language comprehension was related to diminished cognitive abilities but not to psychopathology symptoms (PANSS) or other clinical characteristics. This may suggest that figurative language impairment, as a specific part of communication deficit, may be regarded as an essential characteristic of schizophrenia, related to primary cognitive deficits but independent of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Artur Daren
- Faculty of Psychology, Pedagogy, and Humanities, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Łukasz Cichocki
- Babinski Clinical Hospital, Krakow, Poland
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland
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Parola A, Gabbatore I, Berardinelli L, Salvini R, Bosco FM. Multimodal assessment of communicative-pragmatic features in schizophrenia: a machine learning approach. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2021; 7:28. [PMID: 34031425 PMCID: PMC8144364 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-021-00153-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
An impairment in pragmatic communication is a core feature of schizophrenia, often associated with difficulties in social interactions. The pragmatic deficits regard various pragmatic phenomena, e.g., direct and indirect communicative acts, deceit, irony, and include not only the use of language but also other expressive means such as non-verbal/extralinguistic modalities, e.g., gestures and body movements, and paralinguistic cues, e.g., prosody and tone of voice. The present paper focuses on the identification of those pragmatic features, i.e., communicative phenomena and expressive modalities, that more reliably discriminate between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. We performed a multimodal assessment of communicative-pragmatic ability, and applied a machine learning approach, specifically a Decision Tree model, with the aim of identifying the pragmatic features that best separate the data into the two groups, i.e., individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and represent their configuration. The results indicated good overall performance of the Decision Tree model, with mean Accuracy of 82%, Sensitivity of 76%, and Precision of 91%. Linguistic irony emerged as the most relevant pragmatic phenomenon in distinguishing between the two groups, followed by violation of the Gricean maxims, and then extralinguistic deceitful and sincere communicative acts. The results are discussed in light of the pragmatic theoretical literature, and their clinical relevance in terms of content and design of both assessment and rehabilitative training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Parola
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Department of Linguistics, Semiotics and Cognitive Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark ,grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Ilaria Gabbatore
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Rogerio Salvini
- grid.411195.90000 0001 2192 5801Instituto de Informática, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO Brasil
| | - Francesca M. Bosco
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy ,grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Centro Interdipartimentale di Studi Avanzati di Neuroscienze–NIT, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Mariana B, Carolina L, Valeria A, Bautista EA, Silvia K, Lucía AF. Functional anatomy of idiomatic expressions. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:489-503. [PMID: 33948754 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00843-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Idiomatic expressions (IE) are groups of words whose meaning is different from the sum of its components. Neural mechanisms underlying their processing are still debated, especially regarding lateralization, main structures involved, and whether this neural network is independent from the spoken language. To investigate the neural correlates of IE processing in healthy Spanish speakers.Twenty one native speakers of Spanish were asked to select one of 4 possible meanings for IE or literal sentences. fMRI scans were performed in a 3.0T scanner and processed by SPM 12 comparing IE vs. literal sentences. Laterality indices were calculated at the group level. IE activated a bilateral, slightly right-sided network comprising the pars triangularis and areas 9 and 10. In the left hemisphere (LH): the pars orbitalis, superior frontal, angular and fusiform gyrus. In the right hemisphere (RH): anterior insula, middle frontal, and superior temporal gyrus. This network reveals the importance of the RH, besides traditional LH areas, to comprehend IE. This agrees with the semantic coding model: the LH activates narrow semantic fields choosing one single meaning and ignoring others, and the RH detects distant semantic relationships, activating diffuse semantic fields. It is also in line with the configuration hypothesis: both meanings, literal and figurative, are executed simultaneously, until the literal meaning is definitively rejected and the figurative one is accepted. Processing IE requires the activation of fronto-temporal networks in both hemispheres. The results concur with previous studies in other languages, so these networks are independent from the spoken language. Understanding these mechanisms sheds light on IE processing difficulties in different clinical populations and must be considered when planning resective surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bendersky Mariana
- Living Anatomy Laboratory, 3rd Normal Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Paraguay 2155, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Lomlomdjian Carolina
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Department of Neurology, Hospital Austral, Pilar, Argentina
| | - Abusamra Valeria
- School of Philosophy and Literature, National Scientific and Technical Research Council-Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires University, Puan 480, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Elizalde Acevedo Bautista
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IIMT (Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional), CONICET-Austral University, Derqui-Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kochen Silvia
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alba-Ferrara Lucía
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Kieckhäfer C, Felsenheimer AK, Rapp AM. A New Test for Irony Detection: The Influence of Schizotypal, Borderline, and Autistic Personality Traits. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:28. [PMID: 30837899 PMCID: PMC6382691 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Irony has repeatedly been suggested as a language based social cognition task. It has been argued to show specific variances in psychiatric disorders and healthy adults with certain personality traits. Above that, irony comprehension is based on a complex interplay of the informational context, the relationship of the conversational partners, and the personality of the recipient. The present study developed a video-based German language test for a systematic examination of irony detection accuracy (Tuerony). The test includes (i) a stereotypical conversation partner (doctor, actor) in (ii) different perspectives (direct interaction, neutral observer) and (iii) a bilateral chat history on a conventional messenger service interface with ironic criticism, ironic praise, literal criticism, and literal praise. Based on the continuous approach of psychiatric symptoms, schizotypal, borderline, and autistic personality traits were associated with irony detection accuracy in a healthy sample. Given the often reported role of mentalization in irony detection, these associations were also investigated. First, a broad variance of irony comprehension in our healthy sample could be shown. Second, schizotypal and borderline, but not autistic traits were significantly negatively associated with irony detection accuracy. Finally, in the current healthy sample, neither variation of the conversational context nor mentalization characteristics were significantly associated with performance beyond personality traits. The current results therefore highlight two aspects for future research in irony comprehension: the importance of ecological valid tests and the role of the individual personality of the recipient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Kieckhäfer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, LVR-Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anne K Felsenheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Alexander Michael Rapp
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Fliedner Klinik Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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Herold R, Varga E, Hajnal A, Hamvas E, Berecz H, Tóth B, Tényi T. Altered Neural Activity during Irony Comprehension in Unaffected First-Degree Relatives of Schizophrenia Patients-An fMRI Study. Front Psychol 2018; 8:2309. [PMID: 29375430 PMCID: PMC5767266 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Irony is a type of figurative language in which the literal meaning of the expression is the opposite of what the speaker intends to communicate. Even though schizophrenic patients are known as typically impaired in irony comprehension and in the underlying neural functions, to date no one has explored the neural correlates of figurative language comprehension in first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients. In the present study, we examined the neural correlates of irony understanding in schizophrenic patients and in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients compared to healthy adults with functional MRI. Our aim was to investigate if possible alterations of the neural circuits supporting irony comprehension in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia would fulfill the familiality criterion of an endophenotype. We examined 12 schizophrenic patients, 12 first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and 12 healthy controls with functional MRI while they were performing irony and control tasks. Different phases of irony processing were examined, such as context processing and ironic statement comprehension. Patients had significantly more difficulty understanding irony than controls or relatives. Patients also showed markedly different neural activation pattern compared to controls in both stages of irony processing. Although no significant differences were found in the performance of the irony tasks between the control group and the relative group, during the fMRI analysis, the relatives showed stronger brain activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the context processing phase of irony tasks than the control group. However, the controls demonstrated higher activations in the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and in the right inferior frontal gyrus during the ironic statement phase of the irony tasks than the relative group. Our results show that despite good task performance, first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients had alterations in the neural circuits during irony processing. Thus, we suggest that neural alteration of irony comprehension could be a potential endophenotypic marker of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Róbert Herold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Eszter Varga
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - András Hajnal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Edina Hamvas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Hajnalka Berecz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Borbála Tóth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Tényi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Li X, Hu D, Deng W, Tao Q, Hu Y, Yang X, Wang Z, Tao R, Yang L, Zhang X. Pragmatic Ability Deficit in Schizophrenia and Associated Theory of Mind and Executive Function. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2164. [PMID: 29321753 PMCID: PMC5732175 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in pragmatic abilities have frequently been observed in patients with schizophrenia. The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between pragmatic deficits, ToM deficits and executive dysfunctions in schizophrenia. A group of 42 schizophrenic patients and 42 healthy controls were assessed on irony task (one type of pragmatic language), two subcomponents of ToM (cognitive and affective), and three subcomponents of EF (inhibition, updating, and switching). The clinical symptoms in schizophrenia were assessed using the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The schizophrenia group exhibited significant impairments in all above tasks compared to the control group. Correlation results found that irony scores were correlated with the two subcomponents of ToM and two of the three subcomponents of EF (inhibition and updating). The regression analysis revealed that the cognitive ToM and inhibition predicted 9.2% and 29.9% of the variance of irony comprehension in the patient group, and inhibition was the best predictor for performance on irony task. Irony understanding was related to positive symptoms, but not to negative symptoms. The results suggest that the ability to interpret pragmatic language depends on schizophrenic patients' ability to infer mental states and the ability of inhibition. It provides empirical evidence for a particular target of inhibition for rehabilitation and intervention programs developed for schizophrenic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Li
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Die Hu
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wenrui Deng
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qian Tao
- Department of Psychology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Hu
- Department of Psychology, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Hefei, Hefei, China
- Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoxue Yang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Tao
- Department of Psychology, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Hefei, Hefei, China
- Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Lizhuang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaochu Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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