1
|
Frau F, Cerami C, Dodich A, Bosia M, Bambini V. Weighing the role of social cognition and executive functioning in pragmatics in the schizophrenia spectrum: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Lang 2024; 252:105403. [PMID: 38593743 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Pragmatic impairment is diffused in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but the literature still debates its neurocognitive underpinnings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the neurocognitive correlates of pragmatic disorders in schizophrenia and determine the weight of social cognition and executive functioning on such disorders. Of the 2,668 records retrieved from the literature, 16 papers were included in the systematic review, mostly focused on non-literal meanings and discourse production in schizophrenia. Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis: pragmatics was moderately associated with both social cognition and executive functions (especially inhibition), but the link with social cognition was stronger. The mediation analysis showed that social cognition mediated the relationship between executive functions and pragmatics. Based on this, we proposed a hierarchical neurocognitive model where pragmatics stems from social cognition, while executive functions are the fertile ground supporting the other two domains, and we discuss its theoretical and clinical implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Frau
- Laboratory of Neurolinguistics and Experimental Pragmatics (NEP), Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Chiara Cerami
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy; Dementia Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dodich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences-CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Marta Bosia
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Bambini
- Laboratory of Neurolinguistics and Experimental Pragmatics (NEP), Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Baraldi MA, Avanzino L, Pelosin E, Domaneschi F, Di Paola S, Lagravinese G. Pragmatic abilities in early Parkinson's disease. Brain Cogn 2021; 150:105706. [PMID: 33761383 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Language impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been investigated at different levels of linguistic skills. Only a few studies dealt with pragmatic abilities in PD, and these suggest an impairment of pragmatic skills, which might affect quality of life. However, previous studies enrolled patients with heterogeneous symptom severity. The goal of this study is twofold: first, to investigate whether pragmatic skills are compromised at the early stage of PD; second, to explore whether an early pragmatic impairment is explained by a decay of a specific cognitive function. We assessed pragmatic abilities (discourse production, comprehension of narratives, humour, and figurative language), and a cluster of cognitive functions (memory, verbal fluency, inhibition, shifting, and ToM) in a sample of early PD patients and a group of age-matched healthy controls. Early PD patients showed impaired general pragmatic skills (the ability to perform different pragmatic tasks in language production and comprehension), as well as a deficit in the production and comprehension individual scores. Our results suggest that good general cognitive skills (a good overall cognitive level) and high education support patients' pragmatic competence. Inhibitory processes have been found to predict patients' ability to understand figurative language, such as metaphors, and this might be related to frontal lobe dysfunctions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alice Baraldi
- Department of Educational Sciences (DISFOR), Psychology Unit, Corso Podestà 2, University of Genoa, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Laura Avanzino
- IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Largo Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy; Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), Section of Human Physiology, Via Leon Battista Alberti 2, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Elisa Pelosin
- IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Largo Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health (DINOGMI), Largo Daneo 3, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Filippo Domaneschi
- Laboratory of Language and Cognition, Via Balbi 30, University of Genoa, 16126 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Simona Di Paola
- Laboratory of Language and Cognition, Via Balbi 2, University of Genoa, 16126 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Lagravinese
- IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Largo Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health (DINOGMI), Largo Daneo 3, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|