RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Olfactory performance segregates effects of anhedonia and anxiety on social function in patients with schizophrenia
JF Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO J Psychiatry Neurosci
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 387
OP 393
DO 10.1503/jpn.140268
VO 40
IS 6
A1 Kristina Cieslak
A1 Julie Walsh-Messinger
A1 Arielle Stanford
A1 Leila Vaez-Azizi
A1 Daniel Antonius
A1 Jill Harkavy-Friedman
A1 Deborah Goetz
A1 Raymond R. Goetz
A1 Dolores Malaspina
YR 2015
UL http://jpn.ca/content/40/6/387.abstract
AB Background: Social dysfunction is common among individuals with schizophrenia. While often attributed to anhedonia, social dysfunction could also result from unrecognized anxiety. We examined the contributions of anhedonia and anxiety to social function using olfactory function to examine whether the domains had separate underpinnings.Methods: We assessed anhedonia, anxiety and social function as well as olfactory function in well-characterized patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and healthy controls.Results: We included 56 patients and 37 controls in our study. Patients exhibited significantly higher levels of anhedonia and anxiety than controls, and the domains were highly correlated in patients. The combination of anhedonia and anxiety more strongly predicted social dysfunction than either measure alone. Smell identification was differentially related to the symptoms, with better performance predicting less anhedonia but more social fear in male patients.Limitations: The use of self-report measures precludes differentiation between recollected or recounted experience. Aside from smell identification and odour threshold, additional measures of olfaction may be considered for future studies.Conclusion: Anhedonia and anxiety were strongly correlated and both negatively impacted social function. The olfactory biomarker results support the conclusion that these domains are separate. Social function in patients with schizophrenia may improve with interventions for anxiety, even in the presence of marked negative symptoms.