Evaluation of Social Cognition Measures for Japanese Patients with Schizophrenia Using an Expert Panel and Modified Delphi Method

Abstract

Social cognition is strongly linked to social functioning outcomes, making it a promising treatment target. Because social cognition measures tend to be sensitive to linguistic and cultural differences, existing measures should be evaluated based on their relevance for Japanese populations. We aimed to establish an expert consensus on the use of social cognition measures in Japanese populations to provide grounds for clinical use and future treatment development. We assembled a panel of experts in the fields of schizophrenia, social psychology, social neuroscience, and developmental disorders. The panel engaged in a modified Delphi process to (1) affirm expert consensus on the definition of social cognition and its constituent domains, (2) determine criteria to evaluate measures, and (3) identify measures appropriate for Japanese patients with a view toward future quantitative research. Through two online voting rounds and two online video conferences, the panel agreed upon a definition and four-domain framework for social cognition consistent with recent literature. Evaluation criteria for measures included feasibility and tolerability, reliability, clinical effectiveness, validity, and international comparability. The panel finally identified nine promising measures, including one task originally developed in Japan. In conclusion, we established an expert consensus on key discussion points in social cognition and arrived at an expert-selected set of measures. We hope that this work facilitates the use of these measures in Japanese clinical scenarios. We plan to further examine these measures in a psychometric evaluation study.

Pharmacological interventions for social cognitive impairments in schizophrenia: A protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

“…If more than one scale is used for the same domain in the same test, the more frequently used scale, as indicated in Table 1 , is adopted. The final decision on which test to adopt will be made prior to analyses through discussion within the research group, referring to the results of previous studies that have identified which tests are commonly used for the four domains of social cognition ( Pinkham et al, 2014 ; Okano et al, 2021 ). Based on the assumption of transitivity, we will make direct/indirect comparisons between the various drug/compound interventions, assuming consistency that direct and indirect evidence are in agreement.…”

Study Protocol: The Evaluation Study for Social Cognition Measures in Japan (ESCoM)

“…Considering the above, we previously recruited a panel of Japanese experts on social cognition who discussed whether social cognition measures developed in the United States could be introduced in Japan, and the panel selected nine promising measures of social cognition in Japanese patients using a modified Delphi method [ 13 ]. Accordingly, the main objectives of the present study are to assess these measures selected by the domestic expert panel simultaneously in the same patients and to examine the relative merits of these social cognition measures by calculating psychometric indicators.…”

Perceptions of and subjective difficulties with social cognition in schizophrenia from an internet survey: Knowledge, clinical experiences, and awareness of association with social functioning

“…Thereafter, the Social Cognition and Psychometric Evaluation study examined the psychometric properties of measures for each domain selected by an expert panel and proposed the current recommendations for their use 12–14 . Validation of these measures with consideration given to language and cultural differences has also begun 15–18 . Social cognitive impairments are also attracting attention as a promising therapeutic target; to date, mainly psychological interventions have been developed (e.g.…”

“…[12][13][14] Validation of these measures with consideration given to language and cultural differences has also begun. [15][16][17][18] Social cognitive impairments are also attracting attention as a promising therapeutic target; to date, mainly psychological interventions have been developed (e.g. Social Cognition and Interaction Training), as current pharmacological treatments have little effect on cognitive impairment.…”