Psychotic experiences (PE) in the general population are understood as unusual experiences such as perceptual abnormalities and cognitive distortions but remain below the psychosis (PS) diagnostic threshold. PE represents a first point along a psychosis continuum including, subclinical psychotic symptoms associated with distress but not
reaching a clinical psychotic disorder. Identifying PE in childhood and adolescence is important because they are associated with an increased risk of developing affective psychosis and schizophrenia (SCH). PE are associated with other psychosis-related features including, social and cognitive alterations. Deficits of social cognition (SC) and pragmatic communication (PC) seem to have a central role in the emergence and maintenance of PE in non-clinical populations (NCP). While several studies investigated how deficits in SC and PC are associated with psychotic symptoms in individuals with SCH, it remains underexplored how these factors interact in determining the persistence of PE in subclinical populations before the transition to PS.
Research in PS showed the association of risk factors with PE maintenance in NCP, including cognitive biases like self-disturbances, defective processing speed, and executive function. SC, the ability to represent the mental states of others, and PC, the ability to interpret and express the intentional meanings have been linked to both development and persistence of PE, as well as to the risk of conversion to PS. Previous studies have shown as deficits in SC, in terms of hyper- or hypo-mentalizing, could have a role in increasing the risk of conversion to PS: they are detectable at attenuated levels in unaffected biological relatives of patients and high-risk cohorts. Also, pragmatic communication disorders (PCD) are evident in the subtle form before PS onset and associated with PE in adolescents, and they demonstrated to be highly accurate in predicting subsequent PS onset in samples of clinical high-risk youths.
In this Research Topic, we aim to gather new evidence and critical reappraisal from researchers addressing the relationship between PE and SC/PC mainly, Focused on the nature of the interactions that determine the persistence of PE and the risk of transition to PS. We hope that the collection of papers stimulates new projects in this field.
We wish to analyze the association and interplay between SC/PC and PE, the role of SC/PC in PE persistence, and the risk of conversion to PS in NCP of adolescents. Studies on people with psychosis will also be considered. Some themes for addressing are:
-Relation between SC/PC and other relevant cognitive domains in the context of PE.
-The role of SC and PCD in maintaining psychotic and non-psychotic symptoms once a psychotic disorder has emerged. Studies investigating PE, SC, and PCD in relatives of patients with psychosis are accepted.
-The role of SC in the emergence and maintenance of PE, the risk to transition to PS, and in enhancing the development of PS in individuals at high risk.
-Language pragmatic skills involved in the persistence and conversion of PE to PS. Studies investigating linguistic and pragmatic markers able to predict the transition to PS are encouraged.
-Papers focused on neuropsychological, neurolinguistics, and imaging methodology are welcome. Research papers, minireviews, perspectives, reviews can be submitted.
Psychotic experiences (PE) in the general population are understood as unusual experiences such as perceptual abnormalities and cognitive distortions but remain below the psychosis (PS) diagnostic threshold. PE represents a first point along a psychosis continuum including, subclinical psychotic symptoms associated with distress but not
reaching a clinical psychotic disorder. Identifying PE in childhood and adolescence is important because they are associated with an increased risk of developing affective psychosis and schizophrenia (SCH). PE are associated with other psychosis-related features including, social and cognitive alterations. Deficits of social cognition (SC) and pragmatic communication (PC) seem to have a central role in the emergence and maintenance of PE in non-clinical populations (NCP). While several studies investigated how deficits in SC and PC are associated with psychotic symptoms in individuals with SCH, it remains underexplored how these factors interact in determining the persistence of PE in subclinical populations before the transition to PS.
Research in PS showed the association of risk factors with PE maintenance in NCP, including cognitive biases like self-disturbances, defective processing speed, and executive function. SC, the ability to represent the mental states of others, and PC, the ability to interpret and express the intentional meanings have been linked to both development and persistence of PE, as well as to the risk of conversion to PS. Previous studies have shown as deficits in SC, in terms of hyper- or hypo-mentalizing, could have a role in increasing the risk of conversion to PS: they are detectable at attenuated levels in unaffected biological relatives of patients and high-risk cohorts. Also, pragmatic communication disorders (PCD) are evident in the subtle form before PS onset and associated with PE in adolescents, and they demonstrated to be highly accurate in predicting subsequent PS onset in samples of clinical high-risk youths.
In this Research Topic, we aim to gather new evidence and critical reappraisal from researchers addressing the relationship between PE and SC/PC mainly, Focused on the nature of the interactions that determine the persistence of PE and the risk of transition to PS. We hope that the collection of papers stimulates new projects in this field.
We wish to analyze the association and interplay between SC/PC and PE, the role of SC/PC in PE persistence, and the risk of conversion to PS in NCP of adolescents. Studies on people with psychosis will also be considered. Some themes for addressing are:
-Relation between SC/PC and other relevant cognitive domains in the context of PE.
-The role of SC and PCD in maintaining psychotic and non-psychotic symptoms once a psychotic disorder has emerged. Studies investigating PE, SC, and PCD in relatives of patients with psychosis are accepted.
-The role of SC in the emergence and maintenance of PE, the risk to transition to PS, and in enhancing the development of PS in individuals at high risk.
-Language pragmatic skills involved in the persistence and conversion of PE to PS. Studies investigating linguistic and pragmatic markers able to predict the transition to PS are encouraged.
-Papers focused on neuropsychological, neurolinguistics, and imaging methodology are welcome. Research papers, minireviews, perspectives, reviews can be submitted.
