Researchers uncover how brain’s social skills impact recovery from early schizophrenia

CLEVELAND—Researchers at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a target in brain function that could change how schizophrenia patients are treated.

“We’ve been treating schizophrenia with a one-size-fits-all approach for decades,” said Jessica Wojtalik, an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. “Now we have a specific target that could help young patients get their lives back on track much faster.”

Their findings were recently published in Psychiatry Research.

Most mental health problems, including schizophrenia, a serious mental health condition that affects how people think, feel and behave, start as teenagers—when their brains are still developing and can be easily damaged, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

When mental illness occurs during this critical transition from childhood to adulthood, it can cause lifelong struggles in school, with friendships and controlling emotions and actions—problems that often last well into adulthood.

The main factor in determining whether patients can function in daily life is known as social inference skills—the ability to “read between the lines” in social situations. The researchers identified how this brain function can be targeted independently for treatment—and that early intervention during this critical window could prevent long-term damage.

“Think of social inference as your brain’s social detective work,” said the study’s lead researcher Anju Kotwani, a doctoral student at the Mandel School. “It’s how you figure out what someone really means when they say ‘fine’ in a certain tone or how you know when someone is being sarcastic versus serious.”

The researchers found that teaching patients to better understand social cues through targeted training programs that consist of structured computer games or worksheets could be more effective than traditional approaches that focus only on memory and attention skills.

The study of 102 patients revealed that social cognition—your brain’s ability to understand and navigate social interactions—acts as the crucial bridge between basic thinking abilities and functioning in daily life during the critical early stages of schizophrenia.

Researchers are calling for the development of social inference training programs for young people with early-stage schizophrenia be made available in their communities. “Addressing both thinking skills and social understanding offers the best hope for functional recovery in early schizophrenia,” said Kotwani.

###

About Case Western Reserve University

As one of the fastest-growing research universities in the United States, Case Western Reserve University is a force in career-defining education and life-changing research. Across our campus, more than 12,000 students from around the world converge to seek knowledge, find solutions and accelerate their impact. They learn from and collaborate with faculty members renowned for expertise in medicine, engineering, science, law, management, dental medicine, nursing, social work, and the arts. And with our location in Cleveland, Ohio—a hub of cultural, business and healthcare activity—our students gain unparalleled access to academic, research, clinical and entrepreneurial opportunities that prepare them to join our network of more than 125,000 alumni worldwide. Visit case.edu to see why Case Western Reserve University is built for those driven to be a force in the world.