Psychotic Disorders Research Laboratory

Director: Dennis R Combs, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

About the Lab

The Psychotic Disorders Research Laboratory was founded in 2002 at the University of Tulsa and now resides at the University of Texas at Tyler. The laboratory is open to students who are interested in working with persons who have schizophrenia and psychotic disorders.  The laboratory has received federal funding from NIMH to support its research.  Dr. Combs is a licensed clinical psychologist (State of Texas # 33687) and a core faculty member in the clinical psychology program at U T Tyler.  Our lab resides in BEP 248 rooms A and B. Dr. Combs' office is in room BEP 248C. 

Dr. Combs is on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and the Behavior Therapist.

Link to Dr. Combs' Early Career Award from the National Register:

http://www.nationalregister.org/press_releases_Combs.html

Areas of Current Research

• Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) for Schizophrenia
• Remediating Emotion Perception Deficits
• Treatment and Assessment of Delusions and Paranoia
• Behavioral, Social, and Cognitive Aspects of Paranoia
• Cultural Factors in Psychosis

Representative Publications (since 2006)

Combs, D.R., Chapman, D.C., Waguspack, J., Basso, M.R., & Penn, D.L., (in press).  Attention Shaping As a Means to Improve Emotion Perception Deficits in Outpatients with Schizophrenia and Impaired Controls.  Schizophrenia Research.

Combs, D.R. (2010). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for schizophrenia.  In A. Rubin and D. Springer (Eds.), Psychosocial Treatment of Schizophrenia (pg. 145-186).  New York, NY: Wiley Press

Wölwer, W., Combs, D.R., Frommann, N., & Penn, D.L. (2010). Treatment approaches with a special focus on social cognition: Overview and empirical results.  In A. Medalia and V. Roder (Eds.), Neurocognition and Social Cognition in Schizophrenia Patients: Basic Concepts and Treatment. (pg. 61-78). Basel, Switzerland: Karger Publishers.  

Combs, D.R., Penn, D.L., Michael, C.O., Basso, M.R., Wiedeman, R., Siebenmorgan, M., Tiegreen, J.A., & Chapman, D. (2009).  Perceptions of hostility by persons with and without persecutory delusions.  Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 14(1), 30-52..

Combs, D.R., Penn, D.L., Ledet, S., Tiegreen, J., Nelson, A., Basso, M.R., Elerson, K. (2009). Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) for Schizophrenia: Six month follow-up results. Schizophrenia Research.

Combs, D.R., Tosheva, A., Penn, D.L., Basso, M.R., Wanner, J.L., & Laib, K. (2008).  Attentional-shaping as a means to improve emotion perception deficits in schizophrenia.  Schizophrenia Research, 105, 68-77.

Combs, D.R., & Penn, D.L. (2008). Social cognition in paranoia.  In D. Freeman, R. Bentall, & P. Garety (Eds.), Persecutory Delusions: Assessment, Theory and Treatment (pg. 175-204).  New York: Oxford University Press.

Basso, M. R., Shields, I. S., Lowery, N., Ghormley, C., Combs, D., Arnett, P. A., & Johnson, J. (2008). Self-reported executive dysfunction, neuropsychological impairment, and functional outcomes in multiple sclerosis.  Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 30, 920-930.

Jones, N.T., Sheitman, B., Combs, D.R., Penn, D., Hazelrigg, M., & Paesler, B. (2008).  The development of a brief version of the Nurse’s Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation. Psychological Services

Combs, D.R., Penn, D.L., Chadwick, P.D.J., Trower, P., Michael, C., & Basso, M.R.  (2007).  Subtypes of paranoia in a non-clinical sample.  Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 12 (6), 537-553. 

Combs, D.R., Basso, M.R., Wanner, J. & Ledet, S. (2007). Schizophrenia.  In M. Hersen & J. Rosqvist (Eds.), Handbook of Assessment, Conceptualization, and Treatment (pp. 352-402).  New York: Wiley Press

Basso, M.R., Lowery, N., Ghormley, C., Combs, D.R, Purdie, R., Neel, J., Davis, M., & Bornstein, R. A. (2007). Co-morbid anxiety corresponds with neuropsychological dysfunction in unipolar depression. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 12(5), 437-456.

Nelson, A., Combs, D.R., Penn, D.L., & Basso, M.R. (2007). Subtypes of social perception deficits in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 94 (1-3), 139-147.

Combs, D.R., Tiegreen, J.A., & Nelson, A. (2007). The use of behavioral experiments to modify delusions and paranoia.  International Journal of Behavioral and Consultation Therapy, 3(1), 30-37.

Penn, D.L., Roberts, D.L, Combs, D.R., & Sterne, A. (2007).  The development of the social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) program for schizophrenia spectrum disorders.  Psychiatric Services, 58, 449-451.

Combs, D.R., & Mueser, K.T. (2007).  Schizophrenia.  In M. Hersen, S. Turner, & D. Beidel (Eds.), Adult Psychopathology and Diagnosis (5th Ed.), pgs 234-285.  New York: John Wiley Press

Combs, D.R., Adams, S.D., Penn, D.L. Roberts, D.L, Tiegreen, J.A., & Stem, P. (2007).  Social cognition and interaction training for schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Preliminary findings.  Schizophrenia Research, 91, 112-116

Combs, D.R., Tiegreen, J.A., & Nelson, A. (2007). The use of behavioral experiments to modify delusions and paranoia.  International Journal of Behavioral and Consultation Therapy, 3(1), 30-37.

Combs, D.R., Penn, D.L., Wicher, M., & Waldheter, E. (2007).  The ambiguous intentions hostility questionnaire (AIHQ): A new measure for evaluating hostile social cognitive biases in paranoia. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 12 (2), 128-143.

Combs, D.R., Tosheva, A., Wanner, J. & Basso, M.R. (2006). Remediation of emotion perception deficits in schizophrenia: The use of attentional prompts. Schizophrenia Research, 87, 340-341.

Combs, D.R., Adams, S.D., Michael, C.O., Penn, D.L., Gouvier W.D., & Basso, M.R.  (2006).  The conviction of delusional beliefs scale: Reliability and validity. Schizophrenia Research, 86, 80-88.