Integrating Psychophysiology within Clinical Practice: A Pilot Cross-sectional Study on Prodromal Symptoms of Schizophrenia, Emotion Regulation, and Personality Functioning

Vincenzo Caretti; Anna Chiara Franquillo; Camilla Guccione; Gaia Cuzzocrea; Riccardo Pecora; Lucrezia Trani; Renato Carpentieri; Arianna Cantiano; Francesca Cinelli; Eleonora Betti; Andrea Fontana; Lucia Sideli; Isabella Panaccione; Patrizia Brogna; Chiara Caprì; Gianluigi Di Cesare; Giuseppe Ducci

doi:10.36131/cnfioritieditore20210607

Integrating Psychophysiology within Clinical Practice: A Pilot Cross-sectional Study on Prodromal Symptoms of Schizophrenia, Emotion Regulation, and Personality Functioning

Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2021 Dec;18(6):334-338. doi: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20210607.

Authors

Vincenzo Caretti^{1

2}, Anna Chiara Franquillo^{1

2}, Camilla Guccione^{1

2}, Gaia Cuzzocrea¹, Riccardo Pecora¹, Lucrezia Trani¹, Renato Carpentieri¹, Arianna Cantiano¹, Francesca Cinelli³, Eleonora Betti¹, Andrea Fontana¹, Lucia Sideli¹, Isabella Panaccione³, Patrizia Brogna³, Chiara Caprì³, Gianluigi Di Cesare³, Giuseppe Ducci³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, Rome, Italy.
² Consorzio Universitario Humanitas, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Mental Health, PIPSM, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia, autonomic activity, and personality functioning.

Method: 10 adolescents underwent semi-structured interviews assessing prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia and personality functioning. Cardiac activity was recorded at baseline, during the clinical interviews, and at recovery to assess concurrent changes in autonomic functioning.

Results: During the assessment of prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia, participants increased sympathetic activation compared to the recovery condition, and reduced vagal activation compared to the assessment of interpersonal functioning.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of integrating the autonomic assessment in clinical psychiatric and psychological practice.

Keywords: dsm-5 alternative model for personality disorders; emotion regulation; heart rate variability; polyvagal theory; prodromal symptoms; respiratory sinus arrhythmia.