Association of DISC1 genetic variances with social cognition in schizophrenia patients

• Main Authors: Bei-Yi Su, 蘇倍儀
• Other Authors: Hsien-Yuan Lane
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/08115610694793360674

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 行為醫學研究所 === 97 === Patients with schizophrenia exhibit impaired social cognitive functions; however, the molecular mechanism of this deficit remains unclear. DISC1, a promising susceptibility gene of schizophrenia, is associated with social behaviors in rodents. Moreover, a robust relationship among a common nonconservative SNP (Ser704Cys) of DISC1 vs. cognitive functions and brain morphology had been reported. Based upon the findings, current study aimed to investigate the potential association between DISC1 genetic variances and social cognitions in patients with schizophrenia. One hundred and fifteen patients with chronic schizophrenia, who had been stabilized with antipsychotic treatment, were assessed with neurocognitive instruments, including the emotion perception and management components of Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) for social cognition, and genotyped for the DISC1 Ser704Cys SNP. We found that patients with the DISC1 Cys/Cys genotype had poorer emotion perception, but not emotion management, than the Ser-allele carriers (Ser/Ser and Cys/Ser). This finding suggests that genetic variation in DISC1 may contribute to the social cognitive deficit, particularly emotion perception, in patients with chronic schizophrenia.