A Correlation Study Of Empathy And Executive Function In Schizophrenic Patients

Objective Empathy is the ability, which individual identifies and distinguishes for the moods of others, and understands the feelings and needs of others at own point of view, as a result , the same of the others'emotional response and experience of moods are produced and feed back to others accurately. The Information-Processing hypothesis of empathy proposes that Empathy including the Perception-Action coupling top-down processing and Execution function regulation bottom-up processing. Schizophrenic patients existed defects in the ability of emotional and executive function. Through the study of the empathic abilities in patients with schizophrenia and the relationship with executive function, we intend to investigate the features of empathy in schizophrenic patients and clarify the empathic neural mechanisms, for providing the indirect evidence in support of the Empathic Information-Processing hypothesis. Though evaluating the reliability and validity of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C, it provides the reliable tool for evaluating empathy.Methods In study one, we assessed multiple dimensions of empathy in 74 schizophrenic patients and 69 healthy controls, with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C (IRI-C). Executive function of schizophrenic patients and healthy controls was measured with Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop Color-Word task (Stroop), Spatial n-back task. The difference of Mean between the two groups using independent-samples t test, and behavioral correlation between variables using Pearson correlation analysis. In study two, we assessed multiple dimensions of empathy in 365 schizophrenic patients and 529 healthy subjects with a self-rating instrument, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C (IRI-C), and 160 schizophrenic patients and 148 healthy subjects were retested by IRI-C.Results In study one, (1) IRI-C: The total scores (46.85±10.03), and the subscores in perspective taking(9.50±4.23), Fantasy(12.50±4.25) and empathic concern(15.89±4.16) were significantly lower than the healthy controls [ (51.49±9.67), (12.22±3.86), (15.54±3.80), (17.29±3.37); P<0.01-0.05) ] respectively, but more self-related aversive feeling in response to the distress of others ( personal distress:[ (8.78±5.07) vs (6.51±3.69) ], P<0.01 ). (2) The assessment of executive function: Between schizophrenic patients and healthy controls, the difference of every factor scores in WCST have a significant effect(p<0.001);the difference of the correct number and the average reaction time in Stroop task have a significant effect(p<0.001).The correct number of 0-back,1-back,2-back in n-back task have significant differences(p<0.001). (3) Pearson correlation analysis showed that the total scores of IRI-C was negatively correlated with the response administered (Ra), the number of responses errors (Re) and non-perseverative Errors (nRpe) in WCST [(r=-0.293),(r=-0.253),(r=-0.272), P<0.05] respectively, the empathic concern of IRI-C was negatively correlated with the response administered (Ra), the number of responses errors (Re), perseverative responses (Rp) and perseverative errors(Rpe) in WCST [(r=-0.326),(r=-0.300),(r=-0.294),(r=-0.287), P<0.05-0.01] respectively, but was positive correlation with Rfp. of WCST [(r=0.279),P<0.05]; Fantasy of IRI-C was both correlated with B part(r=-0.299, P<0.01) and C part (r=-0.322, P<0.01) of the Stroop task; but no significant correlation exists between scores of IRI-C and scores of n-back task.In study two, we found that The split half of reliability was 0.734; the Cronbachα-coefficient of IRI-C and the four factors were 0.750, 0.721,0.624, 0.532, 0.758 respectively, The test- retest reliability were 0.737, 0.700, 0.735, 0.625, 0.655. IRI-C had four factors which were extracted by factor analysis, and accumulated variance was 46.34%.All of them had significant differentiation validity (P<0.001).Conclusion In study one, Schizophrenics had a general impairment of empathy and executive function, and affective empathy were related to the executive function, suggesting that the impairment of executive function maybe the one of pathological mechanism for the empathic deficit of patients with schizophrenia.In study two, we found out that IRI-C has good reliability and validity in application of Chinese people.