# Progression of Social Cognitive Deficits in Mid- and Late-Life Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

> **NIH NIH R01** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $928,449

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Social cognitive deficits are prevalent in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and significantly contribute to
poor community functioning. Since most people living with SSD are in their mid- and late-life and social
cognitive deficits often persist or even worsen over the course of illness, there is a critical need to develop
effective interventions for mid-late life SSD. Characterizing social cognitive deficits and their changes across
age and identifying neural markers are prerequisites to developing efficient identification strategies and
targeted neurobiological treatments. In response to RFA-MH-22-270 “Schizophrenia and Related Disorders
during Mid- to Late-life,” this project aims to advance knowledge in social cognition—one of the identified
priority research areas. We will recruit a large sample (n = 192; 50% female) of SSD participants in their mid-
late life (age 35 to 75). Additionally, 48 early-psychosis (age 18-34) and 120 age-matched non-psychiatric
participants will serve as clinical and healthy comparisons, respectively. Participants will complete
assessments of psychiatric phenotypes, neurocognition, and community functioning. Social cognition will be
assessed using a comprehensive battery capturing low- to high-level processes. A subset (75%) of the
participants will additionally undergo EEG during social cognitive tasks to determine the theta-band neural
oscillatory features underlying social cognitive deficits. The specific aims of this project are threefold: 1)
Delineate the age trajectories of social cognitive deficits in mid-late life SSD; 2) Evaluate theta-band neural
oscillatory features as neural markers of social cognitive deficits in mid-late life SSD; and 3) Parse
heterogeneity based on neural oscillatory signatures in mid-late life SSD. Successfully completing these
specific aims will advance our understanding of the course and neural mechanisms of social cognition in mid-
late life SSD, advancing NIMH’s Strategic Objective Objectives 2.1 (characterize the trajectories of cognitive
and affective processes across the lifespan), 2.2 (identify behavioral and biological markers of mental
illnesses), and 1.3 (identify neural mechanisms contributing to mental illnesses). The findings will guide
identification and personalized treatment strategies, providing critical knowledge to determine who and how to
intervene.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10793116
- **Project number:** 1R01MH135117-01
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ivy Fei Tso
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $928,449
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-12-15 → 2028-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10793116

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10793116, Progression of Social Cognitive Deficits in Mid- and Late-Life Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (1R01MH135117-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10793116. Licensed CC0.

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