Emotional Intelligence in Schizophrenia and Bipolar-I- Disorder

Emotional Intelligence in Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder: a Comparison Between Patients, Their Siblings, and Healthy Controls

Scientific Background

Emotional Intelligence (EI) as a part of social cognition is a rather new area of interest which focuses on personality traits and abilities enabling people to cope with both their own feelings as well as those of others. The "Mayer-Salovey-Caruso-Emotional-Intelligence-Test" (MSCEIT) (1) represents a valid and reliable instrument which exclusively covers the emotional components of social cognition. Recent findings indicate, that social cognitive impairments are useful vulnerability indicators and that EI could be an endophenotype for schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder (BD I). To confirm the endophenotype theory, studies concerning EI in relatives of schizophrenia and bipolar patients are needed. To date, studies on EI in BD patients as well as in first degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia or BD haven't been conducted yet. Accordingly, the current study focuses on the four categories assessed by the MSCEIT and aims to compare the task performance of patients, their first degree relatives and healthy control subjects. We assume that the task performance of relatives lies between that of patients and controls. The confirmation of this assumption would verify the trait marker hypothesis and could be a next step to identify a heritable endophenotype for schizophrenia and BD.

Hypotheses

Compared to healthy control subjects patients suffering from schizophrenia or BD I show deficits in EI. Siblings of patients with schizophrenia or BD I show deficits in EI and their task performance lies between that of patients and healthy controls. Deficits in EI are more pronounced in schizophrenia patients than in patients with BD I and are more pronounced in siblings of schizophrenia patients than in siblings of patients with BD I. Independently of diagnosis, deficits in EI affect patients' functional and subjective outcomes.

Methods

Emotional Intelligence will be examined using the MSCEIT in patients with schizophrenia, siblings of schizophrenia patients, patients with BD I, siblings of BD I patients and healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and educational level. Structured clinical interviews according to DSM-IV (M.I.N.I. + SCID II) will be carried out to assure the diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder as well as to detect (comorbid) Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders (patients, siblings, control subjects). Functional outcome will be assessed by using the GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning Scale) and the PSP (Personal and Social Performance Scale), subjective quality of life will be examined using the BELP (Berliner Lebensqualiätsprofil). The MWT-B (Multiple choice vocabulary test) will be used to assess premorbid intelligence.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Schizophrenia; Bipolar I Disorder

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 350

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Austria
  • Innsbruck, Austria, 6020
    • Medical University Innsbruck

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 63 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Psychiatric out- and inpatient setting

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia or BD (verified by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.)
• Outpatients with stable psychopathology for at least half a year and fixed treatment regimen for at least one month prior to testing
• Age: 18-65 years
• Native German Speakers
• Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other axis 1 disorder (verified by M.I.N.I.)
• History of organic mental disorder
• Mental Retardation
• Epilepsy
• Pregnancy/breast-feeding
• Unstable and/or severe organ system diseases, e.g. cardiovascular, endocrine, metabolic

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Other
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

5

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Healthy Controls
Schizophrenia Patients
Bipolar I Patients
Siblings of Schizophrenia Patients
Siblings of Bipolar I Patients

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Emotional Intelligence	Assessed with the MSCEIT (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso-Emotional-Intelligence-Test	24 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Quality of Life	Assessed with the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile	24 month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medical University Innsbruck
• Collaborators: Paracelsus Medical University; Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Alex Hofer, Assoc. Prof. Dr., Medical University Innsbruck

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): July 31, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 12, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 25, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): November 29, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 20, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 19, 2017
• Last Verified: September 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Emotional Intelligence
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: KLI 366