Сognitive Functioning in Patients with the Phenomenon of Anhedonia in the Framework of Affective Pathology and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Background: anhedonia is a transdiagnostic psychopathological phenomenon, which is assessed as “core” for several diseases at once — first of all schizophrenic and affective spectrum disorders. The problem of clinical features differentiation and identification of anhedonia’s neurobiological mechanisms in the structure of the affective and schizophrenic spectrum disorders is still topical and far from being resolved.The aim of the study: to compare the relationship between the features of neurocognitive functioning and the manifestations of anhedonia among patients with disorders of the schizophrenic and affective spectra.Patients: the sample consisted of 40 patients including 17 patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorders (ICD-10 diagnosis codes F20.01, F20.02, F21.3, F21.4, F25.0, F25.1) and 23 patients with affective disorders (ICD-10 diagnosis code F33, F31).Methods: clinical, psychometric, experimental psychological and statistical.Results: patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders show lower scores on pleasure anticipation ability and ability to experience pleasure in the social sphere. The affective spectrum group showed a correlation between anticipatory anhedonia and phonetic verbal fluency (r = –0.487; p < 0.01). There was also a correlation between immediate pleasure experience and errors in the Rey figure test (r = –0.349; p < 0.05). Social anhedonia in these patients was associated with phonetic verbal fluency productivity (r = –0.509; p < 0.01) and performance in visual fluency productivity (r = –0.473; p < 0.01). Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders had a correlation between anticipatory anhedonia and the Color-Word Interference Test (r = –0.329; p < 0.05) and the Rey Complex Figure Test (r = –0.307; p < 0.05). Consummatory anhedonia was correlated with verbal fluency test (r = –0.511; p < 0.01) and the Rey Complex Figure Test (r = –0.417; p < 0.01). Social anhedonia was correlated with Color-Word Interference Test (r = –0.656; p < 0.01), verbal fluency (r = –0.523; p < 0.01), and story description (r = –0.421; p < 0.01).Conclusion: manifestations of different parameters of anhedonia demonstrate the differences in schizophrenia and affective spectrum disorders. Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have greater difficulties in anticipating pleasure and experiencing pleasure in the social sphere. The ability to anticipate pleasure may be associated with executive function, while the ability to experience pleasure immediately may be associated with memory function. Social anhedonia affects a wide range of cognitive functions.