Basic information

Investigator: Mgr. Barbora Keřková, Ph.D.
Main recipient: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Co-recipient: n/a
Research period:  1/5/2025 - 31/12/2028
Total budget: 5,976,000.00 CZK
NIMH budget: 5,976,000.00 CZK
Supported by: Czech Health Research Council (AZV ČR)

 

 

 

 

Annotation

Emotion recognition impairments are commonly observed in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), but their severity appears to vary depending on study methods, including task paradigm difficulty. One explanation is that individuals with SSDs retain the ability for implicit emotional processing but make errors once additional processes, such as the ability to verbalize an emotion or retain it in memory, are required. Although this possibility could have important theoretical and clinical implications, it has not been well-tested. The proposed study addresses this gap by assessing statistical (implicit) learning and its predictive capacity for emotion recognition of varying difficulty. The effects of statistical learning are compared with those of verbalization and working memory capacity. Intervening effects are controlled through a-priori stimulus selection (single modality stimuli with low social demands: tones and melodies) and supplemental measures (e.g., auditory ability). The study includes 88 participants with SSDs and 88 healthy controls. We expect to find preserved statistical learning in both groups, alongside its protective effect on lower-difficulty emotion recognition. For higher-difficulty emotion recognition, we predict that the protective effect of statistical learning diminishes in individuals with SSDs due to the increased impact of verbalization and working memory deficits. To assess the clinical relevance of our findings, we examine the relationships between statistical learning, emotion recognition, and global functioning using mediation analysis, and explore additional areas, including life quality. Given its innovative design, this study could substantially advance our understanding of the predictors of both preserved and impaired emotion recognition in SSDs. By examining their combined impact on clinical outcomes, we aim to support the development and implementation of effective therapies for these disorders