1
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Narmashiri A, Akbari F. The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on the Cognitive Functions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2023:10.1007/s11065-023-09627-x. [PMID: 38060075 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-023-09627-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have investigated the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive functions. However, these studies reported inconsistent results due to differences in experiment design, measurements, and stimulation parameters. Nonetheless, there is a lack of meta-analyses and review studies on tDCS and its impact on cognitive functions, including working memory, inhibition, flexibility, and theory of mind. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of tDCS studies published from the earliest available data up to October 2021, including studies reporting the effects of tDCS on cognitive functions in human populations. Therefore, these systematic review and meta-analysis aim to comprehensively analyze the effects of anodal and cathodal tDCS on cognitive functions by investigating 69 articles with a total of 5545 participants. Our study reveals significant anodal tDCS effects on various cognitive functions. Specifically, we observed improvements in working memory reaction time (RT), inhibition RT, flexibility RT, theory of mind RT, working memory accuracy, theory of mind accuracy and flexibility accuracy. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate noteworthy cathodal tDCS effects, enhancing working memory accuracy, inhibition accuracy, flexibility RT, flexibility accuracy, theory of mind RT, and theory of mind accuracy. Notably, regarding the influence of stimulation parameters of tDCS on cognitive functions, the results indicated significant differences across various aspects, including the timing of stimulation (online vs. offline studies), population type (clinical vs. healthy studies), stimulation duration (< 15 min vs. > 15 min), electrical current intensities (1-1.5 m.A vs. > 1.5 m.A), stimulation sites (right frontal vs. left frontal studies), age groups (young vs. older studies), and different cognitive tasks in each cognitive functioning aspect. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that tDCS can effectively enhance cognitive task performance, offering valuable insights into the potential benefits of this method for cognitive improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdolvahed Narmashiri
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran.
- Electrical Engineering Department, Bio-Intelligence Research Unit, Sharif Brain Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Riadh O, Naoufel O, Ben Rejeb MR, Le Gall D. The role of cognitive estimation in understanding the mental states of others. Cogn Neuropsychol 2023; 40:381-400. [PMID: 38782712 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2024.2354449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have emphasized the critical role of the prefrontal cortex in cognitive estimation and theory of mind, however, none of them has questioned the possible role of cognitive estimation processes in understanding the mental states of others. In this study, we compared 30 patients with focal prefrontal cortex damage and 30 control subjects matched by gender, age, and education level on their performances on a cognitive estimation task and two tasks assessing theory of mind: the "Faux-Pas" task and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. The results showed that patients were significantly impaired compared with control subjects on both abilities of cognitive estimation and theory of mind. Moreover, regression analyses showed that performance on theory of mind was predicted by the scores on cognitive estimation. Finally, using voxel-based lesion analysis, we identified a partially common bilaterally distributed prefrontal network involved in both these domains centred within the ventral and dorsomedial areas with extension to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouerchefani Riadh
- Higher Institute of Human sciences, University of Tunis El-Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Univ Angers, Université de Nantes, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, Angers, France
| | | | - Mohamed Riadh Ben Rejeb
- Faculty of Human and Social Science of Tunisia, Department of Psychology, University of Tunis I, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Didier Le Gall
- Univ Angers, Université de Nantes, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, Angers, France
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3
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Mendez MF. A Functional and Neuroanatomical Model of Dehumanization. Cogn Behav Neurol 2023; 36:42-47. [PMID: 36149395 PMCID: PMC9991937 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The dehumanization of others is a major scourge of mankind; however, despite its significance, physicians have little understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms for this behavior. We can learn much about dehumanization from its brain-behavior localization and its manifestations in people with brain disorders. Dehumanization as an act of denying to others human qualities includes two major forms. Animalistic dehumanization (also called infrahumanization) results from increased inhibition of prepotent tendencies for emotional feelings and empathy for others. The mechanism may be increased activity in the inferior frontal gyrus. In contrast, mechanistic dehumanization results from a loss of perception of basic human nature and decreased mind-attribution. The mechanism may be hypofunction of a mentalization network centered in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and adjacent subgenual anterior cingulate cortex. Whereas developmental factors may promote animalistic dehumanization, brain disorders, such as frontotemporal dementia, primarily promote mechanistic dehumanization. The consideration of these two processes as distinct, with different neurobiological origins, could help guide efforts to mitigate expression of this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F. Mendez
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Neurology Service, Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
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4
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Ferrer-Cairols I, Ferré-González L, García-Lluch G, Peña-Bautista C, Álvarez-Sánchez L, Baquero M, Cháfer-Pericás C. Emotion recognition and baseline cortisol levels relationship in early Alzheimer disease. Biol Psychol 2023; 177:108511. [PMID: 36716987 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotion recognition is often impaired in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can be evaluated using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Similarly, cortisol levels can affect cognition and could be considered a biomarker of AD. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the emotion recognition task and cortisol levels in participants with early Alzheimer Disease (AD). METHODS Complex emotion recognition was assessed with RMET, and plasma cortisol levels were determined by mass spectrometry in participants classified into mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (n = 25), mild dementia (MD) due to AD (n = 20), MCI non-AD (n = 34), MD non-AD (n = 13) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 16) groups. RESULTS Significantly lower positive emotion recognition was found in the MCI non-AD group (p = 0.02) and lower emotion recognition in MD (AD and non-AD) groups (p < 0.01) compared to the healthy group. In addition, significant differences were observed between cortisol and all RMET scores among the MCI and MD groups (p < 0.01). A significant correlation was also obtained between total and neutral RMET scores and cortisol levels in MD groups (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS These outcomes suggest that detection of positive emotion dysfunction could help to identify MCI non-AD patients. Furthermore, general impaired emotion recognition and high cortisol levels may be associated with cognitive impairment at mild dementia level.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Ferrer-Cairols
- Research Group in Alzheimer Disease. Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - L Ferré-González
- Research Group in Alzheimer Disease. Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - G García-Lluch
- Research Group in Alzheimer Disease. Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - C Peña-Bautista
- Research Group in Alzheimer Disease. Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - L Álvarez-Sánchez
- Research Group in Alzheimer Disease. Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Baquero
- Research Group in Alzheimer Disease. Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain; Neurology Unit, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - C Cháfer-Pericás
- Research Group in Alzheimer Disease. Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
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5
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is associated with social and criminal transgressions; studies from countries around the world have documented such behavior in persons with this condition. An overview and analysis of social and criminal transgressions in bvFTD and their potential neurobiological mechanisms can provide a window for understanding the relationship of antisocial behavior and the brain. METHODS This review evaluated the literature on the frequency of social and criminal transgressions in bvFTD and the neurobiological disturbances that underlie them. RESULTS There is a high frequency of transgressions among patients with bvFTD due to impairments in neurocognition, such as social perception, behavioral regulation, and theory of mind, and impairments in social emotions, such as self-conscious emotions and empathy. Additionally, there is significant evidence for a specific impairment in an innate sense of morality. Alterations in these neurobiological processes result from predominantly right-hemisphere pathology in frontal (ventromedial, orbitofrontal, inferolateral frontal), anterior temporal (amygdala, temporal pole), limbic (anterior cingulate, amygdala), and insular regions. CONCLUSIONS Overlapping disturbances in neurocognition, social emotions, and moral reasoning result from disease in the mostly mesial and right-sided frontotemporal network necessary for responding emotionally to others and for behavioral control. With increased sophistication in neurobiological interventions, future goals may be the routine evaluation of these processes among individuals with bvFTD who engage in social and criminal transgressions and the targeting of these neurobiological mechanisms with behavioral, pharmacological, and other interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Mendez
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; and Neurology Service, Neurobehavior Unit, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
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Morellini L, Izzo A, Ceroni M, Rossi S, Zerboni G, Rege-Colet L, Biglia E, Sacco L. Theory of mind in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review. Front Psychol 2022; 13:994070. [PMID: 36329733 PMCID: PMC9623288 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.994070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The focus of this systematic review was to collect and align studies which analyze the functionality of theory of mind (TOM) in patients with mild cognitive impairments (MCI). Specifically, we identified 20 papers published between 2012 and 2022 which met inclusion criteria. Papers search, selection, and extraction followed the PRISMA guidelines. In order to summarize data from the papers, we used a narrative synthesis approach. Results in 18 of these 20 papers show that theory of mind (TOM) is impaired in all types of MCI patients—regardless of different etiology and diagnostic criteria. Only 2 out of 20 reported no significant differences in TOM performance between MCI patients and healthy control subjects. The review additionally aimed to bundle the variety of the type of tasks used by the author to assess multiple domains of TOM. This heterogeneity does not allow us to make a comprehensive comparison between the results, so we suggest the need to align the results using the same type of tests and TOM assessment. In the end, our work highlights the 2 neuropsychological studies which confirm more of our results; due to the objective approach adopted to investigate this topic, we suggest exploring this point of view more in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Morellini
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Neuropsychological and Speech Therapy Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Lugano, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Lucia Morellini
| | - Alessia Izzo
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Martino Ceroni
- Neuropsychological and Speech Therapy Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Stefania Rossi
- Neuropsychological and Speech Therapy Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Giorgia Zerboni
- Neuropsychological and Speech Therapy Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Laura Rege-Colet
- Neuropsychological and Speech Therapy Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Elena Biglia
- Neuropsychological and Speech Therapy Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Sacco
- Neuropsychological and Speech Therapy Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Lugano, Switzerland
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7
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Irish M. Autobiographical memory in dementia syndromes—An integrative review. WIRES COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 14:e1630. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muireann Irish
- School of Psychology and Brain & Mind Centre The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
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8
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Hengstschläger A, Sommerlad A, Huntley J. What Are the Neural Correlates of Impaired Awareness of Social Cognition and Function in Dementia? A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1136. [PMID: 36138872 PMCID: PMC9496823 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in social cognition and function are characteristic of dementia, commonly accompanied by a loss of awareness of the presence or extent of these deficits. This lack of awareness can impair social relationships, increase patients' and carers' burden, and contribute to increased rates of institutionalization. Despite clinical importance, neural correlates of this complex phenomenon remain unclear. We conducted a systematic search of five electronic databases to identify functional and structural neuroimaging studies investigating the neural correlates of impaired awareness of social cognition and function in any dementia type. We rated study quality and conducted a narrative synthesis of the results of the eight studies that met the predefined eligibility criteria. Across these studies, deficits in awareness of impairments in social cognition and function were associated with structural or functional abnormalities in the frontal pole, orbitofrontal cortex, temporal pole, middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and insula. Several identified regions overlap with established neural correlates of social cognition. More research is needed to understand awareness of social cognition and function and how this becomes impaired in dementia to improve neuroscientific understanding, aid the identification of this problematic symptom, and target interventions to reduce burden and improve care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Sommerlad
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London W1T 7BN, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London NW1 0PE, UK
| | - Jonathan Huntley
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London W1T 7BN, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London NW1 0PE, UK
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9
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Ryan B, O’Mara Baker A, Ilse C, Brickell KL, Kersten HM, Williams JM, Addis DR, Tippett LJ, Curtis MA. The New Zealand Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Study (FTDGeNZ): a longitudinal study of pre-symptomatic biomarkers. J R Soc N Z 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2101483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brigid Ryan
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Ashleigh O’Mara Baker
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Christina Ilse
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Kiri L. Brickell
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Hannah M. Kersten
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Joanna M. Williams
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Donna Rose Addis
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lynette J. Tippett
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A. Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, New Zealand
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10
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Mendez MF. THE IMPLICATIONS OF FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA FOR BRAIN DYSFUNCTION IN PSYCHOPATHY. Biol Psychol 2022; 171:108342. [PMID: 35487297 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how psychopathy compares with brain disease can help clarify its underlying mechanisms. This literature review is a broad overview of the neurobiology of psychopathic traits in comparison to behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), a disorder uniquely associated with criminal behavior. In addition to violation of social norms, both psychopathy and bvFTD result in impaired socioemotional perception and empathy, impulsivity, and altered moral judgment. Despite wide areas of decreased function in psychopathy, structural changes are primarily evident in amygdala and, to a lesser extent, anterior insula, whereas in bvFTD neuropathology involves a wider paralimbic region. In psychopathy, relatively intact medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices facilitate theory of mind and psychopathic traits such as deceitfulness and manipulation, bold fearlessness, and risk-taking behavior. In conclusion, many frontotemporal areas are hypoactive in psychopathy and bvFTD, but differences in dysfunctional connectivity in psychopathy vs. direct involvement in bvFTD potentially explain similarities and differences between these two conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Mendez
- Department of Neurology and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); Neurology Service, Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.
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11
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Strikwerda-Brown C, Ahmed RM, Piguet O, Irish M. Try to see it my way - Examining the relationship between visual perspective taking and theory of mind in frontotemporal dementia. Brain Cogn 2022; 157:105835. [PMID: 35007869 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is characterised by pronounced alterations in social functioning, including the understanding of others' thoughts and feelings via theory of mind. The emergence of such impairments in other social disorders such as autism and schizophrenia is suggested to reflect an inability to imagine the other person's visual perspective of the world. To our knowledge, relationships between visual perspective taking and theory of mind have not previously been explored in bvFTD. Here, we sought to examine the capacity for visual perspective taking and theory of mind in bvFTD, and to establish their inter-relationships and underlying neural correlates. Fifteen bvFTD patients and 15 healthy Controls completed a comprehensive battery of perspective taking measures, comprising Level 1 ('what') and Level 2 ('how') visual perspective taking tasks, a cartoon task capturing theory of mind, and a questionnaire assessing subjective perspective taking in daily life. Compared with Controls, bvFTD patients displayed significant impairments across all perspective taking measures. These perspective taking impairments, however, were not correlated with one another in bvFTD. Region-of-interest voxel-based morphometry analyses suggested distinct neural correlates for visual perspective taking (inferior frontal gyrus) versus theory of mind (medial prefrontal cortex, precuneus), which appeared to partially overlap with those implicated in subjective perspective taking (inferior frontal gyrus, precuneus, temporoparietal junction). Despite pervasive impairments in all aspects of perspective taking in bvFTD, these did not appear to relate to one another at the behavioural or neural level in our study. Future large-scale studies manipulating discrete aspects of the tasks will help to clarify the neurocognitive mechanisms of, and relationships between, visual perspective taking and theory of mind in bvFTD, along with their real-world implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherie Strikwerda-Brown
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Australia
| | - Rebekah M Ahmed
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; The University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School, Australia
| | - Olivier Piguet
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Australia
| | - Muireann Irish
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Australia.
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12
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Campanella F, West T, Dell'Acqua CC, Skrap M. Cognitive and affective theory of mind double dissociation after parietal and temporal lobe tumours. Brain 2021; 145:1818-1829. [PMID: 34919647 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive neuroimaging literature suggests that understanding others' thoughts and emotions engages a wide network encompassing parietal, temporal and medial frontal brain areas. However, the causal role played by these regions in social inferential abilities is still unclear. Moreover very little is known about ToM deficits in brain tumours and whether potential anatomical substrates are comparable to those identified in fMRI literature. This study evaluated the performance of 105 tumour patients, before and immediately after brain surgery, on a cartoon-based non-verbal task evaluating Cognitive (Intention Attribution) and Affective (Emotion Attribution) ToM, as well as a non-social control condition (Causal Inference). Across multiple analyses, we found converging evidence of a double dissociation between patients with right superior parietal damage, selectively impaired in Intention Attribution, and those with right antero-medial temporal lesion, exhibiting deficits only in Emotion attribution. Instead, patients with damage to the frontal cortex were impaired in all kinds of inferential processes, including those from the non-social control conditions. Overall, our data provides novel reliable causal evidence of segregation between different aspects of the ToM network from both the cognitive and also the anatomical point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Campanella
- Neurosurgery Unit, Presidio Ospedaliero Universitario "S. Maria della Misericordia", Udine, Italy.,Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Thomas West
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Miran Skrap
- Neurosurgery Unit, Presidio Ospedaliero Universitario "S. Maria della Misericordia", Udine, Italy
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13
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Measuring social cognition in frontotemporal lobar degeneration: a clinical approach. J Neurol 2021; 269:2227-2244. [PMID: 34797433 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-021-10889-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in social cognition, a broad term indicating our ability to understand others and adapt our behavior accordingly, have been the focus of growing attention in the past years. Some neurological conditions, such as those belonging to the frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) spectrum, are associated to varying degrees with social cognition deficits, encompassing problems with theory of mind (ToM), empathy, perception of social stimuli, and social behavior. In this review, we outline a clinical framework for the evaluation of social cognition and discuss its role in the assessment of patients affected by a range of FTLD conditions.
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14
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Lasaponara S, Marson F, Doricchi F, Cavallo M. A Scoping Review of Cognitive Training in Neurodegenerative Diseases via Computerized and Virtual Reality Tools: What We Know So Far. Brain Sci 2021; 11:528. [PMID: 33919244 PMCID: PMC8143131 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis are heterogeneous in their clinical profiles and underlying pathophysiology, although they typically share the presence of cognitive impairment that worsens significantly during the course of the disease. Viable pharmacological options for cognitive symptoms in these clinical conditions are currently lacking. In recent years, several studies have started to apply Computerized Cognitive Training (CCT) and Virtual Reality (VR) tools to try and contrast patients' cognitive decay over time. However, no in-depth literature review of the contribution of these promising therapeutic options across main neurodegenerative diseases has been conducted yet. The present paper reports the state-of-the-art of CCT and VR studies targeting cognitive impairment in most common neurodegenerative conditions. Our twofold aim is to point out the scientific evidence available so far and to support health professionals to consider these promising therapeutic tools when planning rehabilitative interventions, especially when the access to regular and frequent hospital consultations is not easy to be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Lasaponara
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.L.); (F.D.)
- Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Marson
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti, 06081 Assisi, Italy;
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Doricchi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.L.); (F.D.)
- Department of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Cavallo
- Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Service, Saint George Foundation, 12030 Cavallermaggiore, Italy
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15
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van den Berg E, Poos JM, Jiskoot LC, Montagne B, Kessels RPC, Franzen S, van Hemmen J, Eikelboom WS, Heijboer EGC, de Kriek J, van der Vlist A, de Jong FJ, van Swieten JC, Seelaar H, Papma JM. Impaired Knowledge of Social Norms in Dementia and Psychiatric Disorders: Validation of the Social Norms Questionnaire-Dutch Version (SNQ-NL). Assessment 2021; 29:1236-1247. [PMID: 33855860 PMCID: PMC9301163 DOI: 10.1177/10731911211008234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The Social Norms Questionnaire–Dutch version (SNQ-NL) measures the ability to
understand and identify social boundaries. We examined the psychometric
characteristics of the SNQ-NL and its ability to differentiate between patients
with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD; n =
23), Alzheimer’s dementia (AD; n = 26), chronic psychiatric
disorders (n = 27), and control participants
(n = 92). Between-group differences in the Total score,
Break errors, and Overadhere errors were examined and associations with
demographic variables and other cognitive functions were explored. Results
showed that the SNQ-NL Total Score and Break errors differed between patients
with AD and bvFTD, but not between patients with bvFTD and psychiatric
disorders. Modest correlations with age, sex, and education were observed. The
SNQ-NL Total score and Break errors correlated significantly with emotion
recognition and verbal fluency but not with processing speed or mental
flexibility. In conclusion, the SNQ-NL has sufficient construct validity and can
be used to investigate knowledge of social norms in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- E van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J M Poos
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - L C Jiskoot
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Dementia Research Center, University College London, London, UK
| | - B Montagne
- Psychodiagnostic department Eemland, GGZ Centraal Psychiatric Center, Amersfoort, the Netherlands.,Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - R P C Kessels
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Medical Psychology & Radboud umc Alzheimer Center, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Vincent van Gogh Institute of Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
| | - S Franzen
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J van Hemmen
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - W S Eikelboom
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - E G C Heijboer
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J de Kriek
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A van der Vlist
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - F J de Jong
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J C van Swieten
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - H Seelaar
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J M Papma
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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16
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Marson F, Lasaponara S, Cavallo M. A Scoping Review of Neuromodulation Techniques in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Useful Tool for Clinical Practice? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 57:medicina57030215. [PMID: 33673455 PMCID: PMC7997187 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57030215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Neurodegenerative diseases that typically affect the elderly such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and frontotemporal dementia are typically characterised by significant cognitive impairment that worsens significantly over time. To date, viable pharmacological options for the cognitive symptoms in these clinical conditions are lacking. In recent years, various studies have employed neuromodulation techniques to try and contrast patients’ decay. Materials and Methods: We conducted an in-depth literature review of the state-of-the-art of the contribution of these techniques across these neurodegenerative diseases. Results: The present review reports that neuromodulation techniques targeting cognitive impairment do not allow to draw yet any definitive conclusion about their clinical efficacy although preliminary evidence is very encouraging. Conclusions: Further and more robust studies should evaluate the potentialities and limitations of the application of these promising therapeutic tools to neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Marson
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti, 06081 Assisi, Italy;
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Lasaponara
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
- Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Cavallo
- Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Service, Saint George Foundation, 12030 Cavallermaggiore, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-3478306430
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17
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Frontotemporal dementia, music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits: A meta-analysis. Brain Cogn 2021; 148:105660. [PMID: 33421942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease that presents with profound changes in social cognition. Music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities, but underlying neurobiological substrates are unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies in FTD patients and functional MRI studies for music perception and social cognition tasks in cognitively normal controls to identify robust patterns of atrophy (FTD) or activation (music perception or social cognition). Conjunction analyses were performed to identify overlapping brain regions. In total 303 articles were included: 53 for FTD (n = 1153 patients, 42.5% female; 1337 controls, 53.8% female), 28 for music perception (n = 540, 51.8% female) and 222 for social cognition in controls (n = 5664, 50.2% female). We observed considerable overlap in atrophy patterns associated with FTD, and functional activation associated with music perception and social cognition, mostly encompassing the ventral language network. We further observed overlap across all three modalities in mesolimbic, basal forebrain and striatal regions. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits that are affected in FTD. This supports the idea that music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities with implications for diagnosis and monitoring.
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18
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Russell LL, Greaves CV, Bocchetta M, Nicholas J, Convery RS, Moore K, Cash DM, van Swieten J, Jiskoot L, Moreno F, Sanchez-Valle R, Borroni B, Laforce R, Masellis M, Tartaglia MC, Graff C, Rotondo E, Galimberti D, Rowe JB, Finger E, Synofzik M, Vandenberghe R, de Mendonça A, Tagliavini F, Santana I, Ducharme S, Butler C, Gerhard A, Levin J, Danek A, Otto M, Warren JD, Rohrer JD. Social cognition impairment in genetic frontotemporal dementia within the GENFI cohort. Cortex 2020; 133:384-398. [PMID: 33221702 PMCID: PMC7754789 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A key symptom of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is difficulty interacting socially with others. Social cognition problems in FTD include impaired emotion processing and theory of mind difficulties, and whilst these have been studied extensively in sporadic FTD, few studies have investigated them in familial FTD. Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) and Faux Pas (FP) recognition tests were used to study social cognition within the Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Initiative (GENFI), a large familial FTD cohort of C9orf72, GRN, and MAPT mutation carriers. 627 participants undertook at least one of the tasks, and were separated into mutation-negative healthy controls, presymptomatic mutation carriers (split into early and late groups) and symptomatic mutation carriers. Groups were compared using a linear regression model with bootstrapping, adjusting for age, sex, education, and for the FP recognition test, language. Neural correlates of social cognition deficits were explored using a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study. All three of the symptomatic genetic groups were impaired on both tasks with no significant difference between them. However, prior to onset, only the late presymptomatic C9orf72 mutation carriers on the FER test were impaired compared to the control group, with a subanalysis showing differences particularly in fear and sadness. The VBM analysis revealed that impaired social cognition was mainly associated with a left hemisphere predominant network of regions involving particularly the striatum, orbitofrontal cortex and insula, and to a lesser extent the inferomedial temporal lobe and other areas of the frontal lobe. In conclusion, theory of mind and emotion processing abilities are impaired in familial FTD, with early changes occurring prior to symptom onset in C9orf72 presymptomatic mutation carriers. Future work should investigate how performance changes over time, in order to gain a clearer insight into social cognitive impairment over the course of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy L Russell
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK
| | - Caroline V Greaves
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK
| | - Martina Bocchetta
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK
| | - Jennifer Nicholas
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Institute of Prion Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Rhian S Convery
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK
| | - Katrina Moore
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK
| | - David M Cash
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK; Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - John van Swieten
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lize Jiskoot
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK; Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fermin Moreno
- Cognitive Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Donostia University Hospital, San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Raquel Sanchez-Valle
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Robert Laforce
- Clinique Interdisciplinaire de Mémoire, Département des Sciences Neurologiques du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Mario Masellis
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Maria Carmela Tartaglia
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Caroline Graff
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital-Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Daniela Galimberti
- University of Milan, Centro Dino Ferrari, Milan, Italy; Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Fabrizio Tagliavini
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto Neurologica Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Isabel Santana
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Chris Butler
- Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alex Gerhard
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Departments of Geriatric Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, University of Duisburg- Essen, Germany
| | - Johannes Levin
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Adrian Danek
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jason D Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, London, UK.
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19
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Visser M, Wong S, Simonetti S, Hazelton JL, Devenney E, Ahmed RM, van Langenhove T, Parker D, Burrell JR, Hodges JR, Kumfor F. Using a second-person approach to identify disease-specific profiles of social behavior in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2020; 133:236-246. [PMID: 33137538 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Changes in social behavior are recognized as potential symptoms of behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and semantic dementia (SD), yet objective ways to assess these behaviors in natural social situations are lacking. This study takes a truly social (or second-person) approach and examines changes in real-world social behavior in different dementia syndromes, by analyzing non-scripted social interactions in bvFTD patients (n = 20) and SD patients (n = 20), compared to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 20). Video recordings of 10-min conversations between patients and behavioral neurologists were analyzed for the presence of socially engaging (e.g., nodding, smiling, gesturing) and disengaging behavior (e.g., avoiding eye contact, self-grooming, interrupting). Results demonstrated disease-specific profiles, with bvFTD patients showing less nodding and more looking away than AD, and SD patients showing more gesturing than AD. A principal components analysis revealed the presence of four unobserved components, showing atypical disengaging patterns of behavior. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed distinct neurobiological bases for each of these components, with the brain regions identified previously associated with behavior selection, abstract mentalization and processing of multi-sensory and socially-relevant information, in mediating socially engaging and disengaging behavior. This study demonstrates the utility of systematic behavioral observation of social interactions in the differential diagnosis of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Visser
- Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, the Netherlands; University of Technology Sydney, Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care Through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Australia
| | - Stephanie Wong
- University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Australia
| | - Simone Simonetti
- University of Technology Sydney, Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care Through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Australia
| | - Jessica L Hazelton
- University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Australia
| | - Emma Devenney
- University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; University of Sydney, Central Clinical School, Australia
| | - Rebekah M Ahmed
- University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; University of Sydney, Central Clinical School, Australia
| | | | - Deborah Parker
- University of Technology Sydney, Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care Through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Australia
| | | | - John R Hodges
- University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; University of Sydney, Central Clinical School, Australia
| | - Fiona Kumfor
- University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Australia; University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Australia.
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20
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Luzzi S, Baldinelli S, Ranaldi V, Fiori C, Plutino A, Fringuelli FM, Silvestrini M, Baggio G, Reverberi C. The neural bases of discourse semantic and pragmatic deficits in patients with frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2020; 128:174-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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21
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Corradi-Dell’Acqua C, Ronchi R, Thomasson M, Bernati T, Saj A, Vuilleumier P. Deficits in cognitive and affective theory of mind relate to dissociated lesion patterns in prefrontal and insular cortex. Cortex 2020; 128:218-233. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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22
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Maresca G, Maggio MG, Latella D, Naro A, Portaro S, Calabrò RS. Understanding the role of social cognition in neurodegenerative Disease: A scoping review on an overlooked problem. J Clin Neurosci 2020; 77:17-24. [PMID: 32389547 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition (SC) is the set of socio-cognitive processes that guide automatic and voluntary behaviors by modulating behavioral responses, it includes both cognitive (Theory of the mind - ToM) and affective aspects (Empathy). SC also includes representations of internal somatic states, self-knowledge, perception of others, communication with others and interpersonal motivations. SC is relevant in daily life and reflects the neural complexity of social processing. The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate the role of SC in neurological disorders, also considering the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying SC and potential assessment tools. The included studies were carried out between 2010 and 2019 and were found on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Sciences databases, using the combined terms "social cognition"; "dementia"; "multiple sclerosis"; "parkinson", "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis", "neurodegenerative disease". Our review has shown that different SC domains are affected by several neurological conditions, with regards to dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Further studies are needed to investigate the association between cognitive and social deficits, for a better management of patients with neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Antonino Naro
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", Messina, Italy
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23
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Cotelli M, Manenti R, Gobbi E, Enrici I, Rusich D, Ferrari C, Adenzato M. Theory of Mind Performance Predicts tDCS-Mediated Effects on the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: A Pilot Study to Investigate the Role of Sex and Age. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10050257. [PMID: 32353992 PMCID: PMC7288024 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10050257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has become an increasingly promising tool for understanding the relationship between brain and behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the magnitude of sex- and age-related tDCS effects previously found in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during a Theory of Mind (ToM) task correlates with social cognition performance; in particular, we explored whether different patterns of activity would be detected in high- and low-performing participants. For this, young and elderly, male and female participants were categorized as a low- or high-performer according to their score on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. Furthermore, we explored whether sex- and age-related effects associated with active tDCS on the mPFC were related to cognitive functioning. We observed the following results: (i) elderly participants experience a significant decline in ToM performance compared to young participants; (ii) low-performing elderly females report slowing of reaction time when anodal tDCS is applied over the mPFC during a ToM task; and (iii) low-performing elderly females are characterized by lower scores in executive control functions, verbal fluency and verbal short-term memory. The relationship between tDCS results and cognitive functioning is discussed in light of the neuroscientific literature on sex- and age-related differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cotelli
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Via Pilastroni, 4, 25125 Brescia, BS, Italy
| | - Rosa Manenti
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Via Pilastroni, 4, 25125 Brescia, BS, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-030-3501457; Fax: +39-030-3533513
| | - Elena Gobbi
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Via Pilastroni, 4, 25125 Brescia, BS, Italy
| | - Ivan Enrici
- Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, TO, Italy
| | - Danila Rusich
- Department of Human Science, LUMSA University (Libera Università Maria Santissima Assunta), 00193 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Clarissa Ferrari
- Statistics Service, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, BS, Italy
| | - Mauro Adenzato
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, TO, Italy
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24
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Lucena ATD, Bhalla RK, Belfort Almeida Dos Santos TT, Dourado MCN. The relationship between theory of mind and cognition in Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2020; 42:223-239. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2019.1710112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aline Tavares De Lucena
- Center for Alzheimer’s disease, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rishi K. Bhalla
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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25
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Mendez MF, Yerstein O, Jimenez EE. Vicarious Embarrassment or "Fremdscham": Overendorsement in Frontotemporal Dementia. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 32:274-279. [PMID: 31687868 PMCID: PMC7198328 DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.19030053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The experience of embarrassment signals violations in social norms, and impairment in this social emotion may underlie much of the social dysfunction in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). The authors investigated whether impaired self-awareness of embarrassment may distinguish patients with bvFTD early in the course of disease from healthy control subjects (HCs). METHODS Self-reported embarrassment was examined among 18 patients with early bvFTD and 23 HCs by using the 36-item Embarrassability Scale, which includes items of situations eliciting embarrassment for oneself ("self-embarrassment") and embarrassment for others ("vicarious embarrassment"). The two study groups were also compared with the Social Norms Questionnaire (SNQ). The analyses included correlations of SNQ results (total score, violations or "break" errors, and overendorsement of social rules or "overadhere" errors) with Embarrassability Scale scores. RESULTS Patients with bvFTD did not differ from HCs on total or self-embarrassment scores but did have significantly higher vicarious embarrassment scores. Unlike in the HC group, reports of vicarious embarrassment did not differ from reports of self-embarrassment among patients in the bvFTD group. The Embarrassability Score further correlated with overadherence to norms on the SNQ. CONCLUSIONS In the presence of social dysfunction and emotional blunting, these findings suggest that patients with bvFTD rely on their own perspective for a rule-based application of social norms in reporting vicarious embarrassment. The assessment of reports of embarrassment for others may indicate an early and previously unrecognized clinical measure for detecting bvFTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F. Mendez
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles;,Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles;,Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - Elvira E. Jimenez
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles;,Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA
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26
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Adenzato M, Manenti R, Gobbi E, Enrici I, Rusich D, Cotelli M. Aging, sex and cognitive Theory of Mind: a transcranial direct current stimulation study. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18064. [PMID: 31792263 PMCID: PMC6889494 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54469-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by changes in cognitive abilities and a great interest is spreading among researchers about aging impact on social cognition skills, such as the Theory of Mind (ToM). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used in social cognition studies founding evidence of sex-related different effects on cognitive ToM task in a young people sample. In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study, we applied one active and one sham tDCS session on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during a cognitive ToM task, including both social (i.e., communicative) and nonsocial (i.e., private) intention attribution conditions, in sixty healthy aging individuals (30 males and 30 females). In half of the participants the anode was positioned over the mPFC, whereas in the other half the cathode was positioned over the mPFC. The results showed that: (i) anodal tDCS over the mPFC led to significant slower reaction times (vs. sham) for social intention attribution task only in female participants; (ii) No effects were found in both females and males during cathodal stimulation. We show for the first time sex-related differences in cognitive ToM abilities in healthy aging, extending previous findings concerning young participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Adenzato
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosa Manenti
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Gobbi
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Ivan Enrici
- Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Danila Rusich
- Department of Human Science, LUMSA University, Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Cotelli
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
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27
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Enhancing theory of mind in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia with transcranial direct current stimulation. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 18:1065-1075. [PMID: 29995274 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0622-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a form of frontotemporal degeneration characterized by early changes in personality, emotional blunting, and/or loss of empathy. Recent research has highlighted that these features may be at least partially explained by impairments in the theory of mind (ToM; i.e., the ability to understand and predict other people's behaviour by attributing independent mental states to them). The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to test the hypothesis that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the medial frontal cortex (MFC) selectively enhances communicative intention processing, a specific ToM ability. Using a single-session online design, we administered a ToM task that measures the ability to represent other people's private and communicative intentions during active or sham tDCS to 16 bvFTD patients. To assess the impact of dementia on performance on the ToM task, we included 16 age-matched healthy volunteers who were asked to perform the entire experimental ToM task. BvFTD is characterized by an impairment in the comprehension of both communicative and private intentions relative to a healthy control group and by a disproportional impairment in communicative intention compared with private intention processing. Significant and selective accuracy improvement in the comprehension of communicative intentions after active stimulation was observed in patients with bvFTD. This is the first study that analyses ToM ability in patients with bvFTD using tDCS stimulation. Our findings could potentially contribute to the development of an effective, noninvasive brain stimulation treatment of ToM impairments in patients with bvFTD.
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Eddy CM. What Do You Have in Mind? Measures to Assess Mental State Reasoning in Neuropsychiatric Populations. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:425. [PMID: 31354534 PMCID: PMC6636467 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interaction is closely associated with both functional capacity and well-being. Previous research has not only revealed evidence of social dysfunction in individuals with a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders but also generated an abundance of potential measures for assessing social cognition. This review explores the most popular measures used within neuropsychiatric populations to investigate the ability to recognize or reason about the mental states of others. Measures are also critically analyzed in terms of strengths and limitations to aid task selection in future clinical studies. The most frequently applied assessment tools use verbal, visual or audiovisual forms of presentation and assess recognition of mental states from facial features, self-rated empathy, the understanding of other's cognitive mental states such as beliefs and intentions, or the ability to combine knowledge of other's thoughts and emotions in order to understand subtle communications or socially inappropriate behavior. Key weaknesses of previous research include limited investigation of relationships with clinical symptoms, and underutilization of measures of everyday social functioning that offer a useful counterpart to traditional "lab" tasks. Future studies should aim to carefully select measures not only based on the range of skills to be assessed but also taking into account potential difficulties with interpretation and the need to gain insight into the application of social cognitive skills as well as ability per se. Some of the best measures include those with well-matched control trials (e.g., Yoni Task) or those that restrict the influence of verbal deficits (e.g., intentions comic strip task), elicit spontaneous mentalizing (e.g., Animations Task), and possess greater ecological validity (e.g., Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition). Social cognitive research within psychiatric populations will be further enhanced through the development of more closely matched control tasks, and the exploration of relationships between task performance, medication, strategy use, and broader emotional and motor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare M. Eddy
- Research and Innovation, BSMHFT National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Katisko K, Cajanus A, Korhonen T, Remes AM, Haapasalo A, Solje E. Prodromal and Early bvFTD: Evaluating Clinical Features and Current Biomarkers. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:658. [PMID: 31293376 PMCID: PMC6598427 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the current diagnostic criteria, early diagnostics of behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) has remained challenging. Patients with bvFTD often present with misleading psychiatric phenotype, and, on the other hand, impairment in memory functions have increasingly been reported. However, impaired episodic memory is currently considered as an exclusion criterion for bvFTD. Single biofluid-based or imaging biomarkers do not currently provide sufficient sensitivity or specificity for early bvFTD diagnosis at single-subject level, although studies have suggested improved accuracy with different biomarker combinations. In this mini review, we evaluate the core clinical features of early bvFTD and summarize the most potential imaging and fluid biomarkers for bvFTD diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasper Katisko
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Antti Cajanus
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Titta Korhonen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anne M Remes
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Neuro Center, Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Annakaisa Haapasalo
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Eino Solje
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Neuro Center, Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
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Strikwerda-Brown C, Ramanan S, Irish M. Neurocognitive mechanisms of theory of mind impairment in neurodegeneration: a transdiagnostic approach. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019; 15:557-573. [PMID: 30863078 PMCID: PMC6388953 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s158996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Much of human interaction is predicated upon our innate capacity to infer the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and perspectives of others, in short, to possess a "theory of mind" (ToM). While the term has evolved considerably since its inception, ToM encompasses our unique ability to apprehend the mental states of others, enabling us to anticipate and predict subsequent behavior. From a developmental perspective, ToM has been a topic of keen research interest, with numerous studies seeking to explicate the origins of this fundamental capacity and its disruption in developmental disorders such as autism. The study of ToM at the opposite end of the lifespan, however, is paradoxically new born, emerging as a topic of interest in its own right comparatively recently. Here, we consider the unique insights afforded by studying ToM capacity in neurodegenerative disorders. Arguing from a novel, transdiagnostic perspective, we consider how ToM vulnerability reflects the progressive degradation of neural circuits specialized for an array of higher-order cognitive processes. This mechanistic approach enables us to consider the common and unique neurocognitive mechanisms that underpin ToM dysfunction across neurodegenerative disorders and for the first time examine its relation to behavioral disturbances across social, intimate, legal, and criminal settings. As such, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of ToM research in neurodegeneration, the resultant challenges for family members, clinicians, and the legal profession, and future directions worthy of exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherie Strikwerda-Brown
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
| | - Siddharth Ramanan
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
| | - Muireann Irish
- The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
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31
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Social brain, social dysfunction and social withdrawal. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 97:10-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Synn A, Mothakunnel A, Kumfor F, Chen Y, Piguet O, Hodges JR, Irish M. Mental States in Moving Shapes: Distinct Cortical and Subcortical Contributions to Theory of Mind Impairments in Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 61:521-535. [PMID: 29172002 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Impaired capacity for Theory of Mind (ToM) represents one of the hallmark features of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and is suggested to underpin an array of socioemotional disturbances characteristic of this disorder. In contrast, while social processing typically remains intact in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the cognitive loading of socioemotional tasks may adversely impact mentalizing performance in AD. Here, we employed the Frith-Happé animations as a dynamic on-line assessment of mentalizing capacity with reduced incidental task demands in 18 bvFTD, 18 AD, and 25 age-matched Controls. Participants viewed silent animations in which geometric shapes interact in Random, Goal-Directed, and ToM conditions. An exclusive deficit in ToM classification was observed in bvFTD relative to Controls, while AD patients were impaired in the accurate classification of both Random and ToM trials. Correlation analyses revealed robust associations between ToM deficits and carer ratings of affective empathy disruption in bvFTD, and with episodic memory dysfunction in AD. Voxel-based morphometry analyses further identified dissociable neural correlates contingent on patient group. A distributed network of medial prefrontal, frontoinsular, striatal, lateral temporal, and parietal regions were implicated in the bvFTD group, whereas the right hippocampus correlated with task performance in AD. Notably, subregions of the cerebellum, including lobules I-IV and V, bilaterally were implicated in task performance irrespective of patient group. Our findings reveal new insights into the mechanisms potentially mediating ToM disruption in dementia syndromes, and suggest that the cerebellum may play a more prominent role in social cognition than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemis Synn
- School of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Annu Mothakunnel
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Fiona Kumfor
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australia
| | - Yu Chen
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australia
| | - Olivier Piguet
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australia
| | - John R Hodges
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Muireann Irish
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australia
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33
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Adenzato M, Manenti R, Enrici I, Gobbi E, Brambilla M, Alberici A, Cotelli MS, Padovani A, Borroni B, Cotelli M. Transcranial direct current stimulation enhances theory of mind in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study. Transl Neurodegener 2019; 8:1. [PMID: 30627430 PMCID: PMC6322239 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0141-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parkinson’s Disease (PD) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (PD-MCI) represents one of the most dreaded complications for patients with PD and is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been demonstrated to improve motor and non-motor symptoms in PD, to date, no study has investigated the effects of tDCS on Theory of Mind (ToM), i.e., the ability to understand and predict other people’s behaviours, in PD-MCI. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study, we applied active tDCS over the medial frontal cortex (MFC) to modulate ToM performance in twenty patients with PD-MCI. Twenty matched healthy controls (HC) were also enrolled and were asked to perform the ToM task without receiving tDCS. Results In the patients with PD-MCI, i) ToM performance was worse than that in the HC, ii) ToM abilities were poorer in those with fronto-executive difficulties, and iii) tDCS over the MFC led to significant shortening of latency for ToM tasks. Conclusions We show for the first time that active tDCS over the MFC enhances ToM in patients with PD-MCI, and suggest that non-invasive brain stimulation could be used to ameliorate ToM deficits observed in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Adenzato
- 1Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosa Manenti
- 3Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio - Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Ivan Enrici
- 4Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Turin, via Gaudenzio Ferrari 9, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Gobbi
- 3Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio - Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Michela Brambilla
- 3Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio - Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonella Alberici
- 5Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Sofia Cotelli
- 5Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Padovani
- 5Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Barbara Borroni
- 5Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Cotelli
- 3Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio - Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
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Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second commonest cause of young onset dementia. Our understanding of FTD and its related syndromes has advanced significantly in recent years. Among the most prominent areas of progress is the overlap between FTD, MND, and other neurodegenerative conditions at a clinicopathologic and genetic level. In parallel major advances in neuroimaging techniques, the discovery of new genetic mutations as well as the development of potential biomarkers may serve to further expand knowledge of the biologic processes at play in FTD and may in turn propel research toward identifying curative and preventative pharmacologic therapies. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the clinical, pathologic, and genetic complexities of FTD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Devenney
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rebekah M Ahmed
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John R Hodges
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Cossini FC, Tabernero ME, Politis DG. Mecanismo de simulación en demencia frontotemporal variante conductual. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuarg.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Social Cognition Dysfunctions in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Neuroanatomical Correlates and Clinical Implications. Behav Neurol 2018; 2018:1849794. [PMID: 29854017 PMCID: PMC5944290 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1849794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social cognitive function, involved in the perception, processing, and interpretation of social information, has been shown to be crucial for successful communication and interpersonal relationships, thereby significantly impacting mental health, well-being, and quality of life. In this regard, assessment of social cognition, mainly focusing on four key domains, such as theory of mind (ToM), emotional empathy, and social perception and behavior, has been increasingly evaluated in clinical settings, given the potential implications of impairments of these skills for therapeutic decision-making. With regard to neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), most disorders, characterized by variable disease phenotypes and progression, although similar for the unfavorable prognosis, are associated to impairments of social cognitive function, with consequent negative effects on patients' management. Specifically, in some NDs these deficits may represent core diagnostic criteria, such as for behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), or may emerge during the disease course as critical aspects, such as for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. On this background, we aimed to revise the most updated evidence on the neurobiological hypotheses derived from network-based approaches, clinical manifestations, and assessment tools of social cognitive dysfunctions in NDs, also prospecting potential benefits on patients' well-being, quality of life, and outcome derived from potential therapeutic perspectives of these deficits.
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Moszczynski AJ, Hintermayer MA, Strong MJ. Phosphorylation of Threonine 175 Tau in the Induction of Tau Pathology in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Frontotemporal Spectrum Disorder (ALS-FTSD). A Review. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:259. [PMID: 29731706 PMCID: PMC5919950 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 50–60% of all patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) will develop a deficit of frontotemporal function, ranging from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) to one or more deficits of neuropsychological, speech or language function which are collectively known as the frontotemporal spectrum disorders of ALS (ALS-FTSD). While the neuropathology underlying these disorders is most consistent with a widespread alteration in the metabolism of transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), in both ALS with cognitive impairment (ALSci) and ALS with FTD (ALS-FTD; also known as MND-FTD) there is evidence for alterations in the metabolism of the microtubule associated protein tau. This alteration in tau metabolism is characterized by pathological phosphorylation at residue Thr175 (pThr175 tau) which in vitro is associated with activation of GSK3β (pTyr216GSK3β), phosphorylation of Thr231tau, and the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions with increased rates of cell death. This putative pathway of pThr175 induction of pThr231 and the formation of pathogenic tau inclusions has been recently shown to span a broad range of tauopathies, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and CTE in association with ALS (CTE-ALS). This pathway can be experimentally triggered through a moderate traumatic brain injury, suggesting that it is a primary neuropathological event and not secondary to a more widespread neuronal dysfunction. In this review, we discuss the neuropathological underpinnings of the postulate that ALS is associated with a tauopathy which manifests as a FTSD, and examine possible mechanisms by which phosphorylation at Thr175tau is induced. We hypothesize that this might lead to an unfolding of the hairpin structure of tau, activation of GSK3β and pathological tau fibril formation through the induction of cis-Thr231 tau conformers. A potential role of TDP-43 acting synergistically with pathological tau metabolism is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Moszczynski
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew A Hintermayer
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Michael J Strong
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Longitudinal cognitive biomarkers predicting symptom onset in presymptomatic frontotemporal dementia. J Neurol 2018; 265:1381-1392. [PMID: 29627938 PMCID: PMC5990575 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8850-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Introduction We performed 4-year follow-up neuropsychological assessment to investigate cognitive decline and the prognostic abilities from presymptomatic to symptomatic familial frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Methods Presymptomatic MAPT (n = 15) and GRN mutation carriers (n = 31), and healthy controls (n = 39) underwent neuropsychological assessment every 2 years. Eight mutation carriers (5 MAPT, 3 GRN) became symptomatic. We investigated cognitive decline with multilevel regression modeling; the prognostic performance was assessed with ROC analyses and stepwise logistic regression. Results MAPT converters declined on language, attention, executive function, social cognition, and memory, and GRN converters declined on attention and executive function (p < 0.05). Cognitive decline in ScreeLing phonology (p = 0.046) and letter fluency (p = 0.046) were predictive for conversion to non-fluent variant PPA, and decline on categorical fluency (p = 0.025) for an underlying MAPT mutation. Discussion Using longitudinal neuropsychological assessment, we detected a mutation-specific pattern of cognitive decline, potentially suggesting prognostic value of neuropsychological trajectories in conversion to symptomatic FTD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00415-018-8850-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Noonan MP, Mars RB, Sallet J, Dunbar RIM, Fellows LK. The structural and functional brain networks that support human social networks. Behav Brain Res 2018; 355:12-23. [PMID: 29471028 PMCID: PMC6152579 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Social skills rely on a specific set of cognitive processes, raising the possibility that individual differences in social networks are related to differences in specific brain structural and functional networks. Here, we tested this hypothesis with multimodality neuroimaging. With diffusion MRI (DMRI), we showed that differences in structural integrity of particular white matter (WM) tracts, including cingulum bundle, extreme capsule and arcuate fasciculus were associated with an individual's social network size (SNS). A voxel-based morphology analysis demonstrated correlations between gray matter (GM) volume and SNS in limbic and temporal lobe regions. These structural changes co-occured with functional network differences. As a function of SNS, dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed altered resting-state functional connectivity with the default mode network (DMN). Finally, we integrated these three complementary methods, interrogating the relationship between social GM clusters and specific WM and resting-state networks (RSNs). Probabilistic tractography seeded in these GM nodes utilized the SNS-related WM pathways. Further, the spatial and functional overlap between the social GM clusters and the DMN was significantly closer than other control RSNs. These integrative analyses provide convergent evidence of the role of specific circuits in SNS, likely supporting the adaptive behavior necessary for success in extensive social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Noonan
- McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 Rue University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Quebec, Canada; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom.
| | - R B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J Sallet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - L K Fellows
- McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 Rue University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Quebec, Canada
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40
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Ibáñez A, García AM, Esteves S, Yoris A, Muñoz E, Reynaldo L, Pietto ML, Adolfi F, Manes F. Social neuroscience: undoing the schism between neurology and psychiatry. Soc Neurosci 2018; 13:1-39. [PMID: 27707008 PMCID: PMC11177280 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1245214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Multiple disorders once jointly conceived as "nervous diseases" became segregated by the distinct institutional traditions forged in neurology and psychiatry. As a result, each field specialized in the study and treatment of a subset of such conditions. Here we propose new avenues for interdisciplinary interaction through a triangulation of both fields with social neuroscience. To this end, we review evidence from five relevant domains (facial emotion recognition, empathy, theory of mind, moral cognition, and social context assessment), highlighting their common disturbances across neurological and psychiatric conditions and discussing their multiple pathophysiological mechanisms. Our proposal is anchored in multidimensional evidence, including behavioral, neurocognitive, and genetic findings. From a clinical perspective, this work paves the way for dimensional and transdiagnostic approaches, new pharmacological treatments, and educational innovations rooted in a combined neuropsychiatric training. Research-wise, it fosters new models of the social brain and a novel platform to explore the interplay of cognitive and social functions. Finally, we identify new challenges for this synergistic framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Ibáñez
- a Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation , Favaloro University , Buenos Aires , Argentina
- b National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) , Buenos Aires , Argentina
- c Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology , Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez , Santiago de Chile , Chile
- d Universidad Autónoma del Caribe , Barranquilla , Colombia
- e Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders , Australian Research Council (ACR) , Sydney , Australia
| | - Adolfo M García
- a Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation , Favaloro University , Buenos Aires , Argentina
- b National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) , Buenos Aires , Argentina
- f Faculty of Elementary and Special Education (FEEyE) , National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo) , Mendoza , Argentina
| | - Sol Esteves
- a Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation , Favaloro University , Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Adrián Yoris
- a Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation , Favaloro University , Buenos Aires , Argentina
- b National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) , Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Edinson Muñoz
- g Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades , Universidad de Santiago de Chile , Santiago , Chile
| | - Lucila Reynaldo
- a Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation , Favaloro University , Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | | | - Federico Adolfi
- a Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation , Favaloro University , Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Facundo Manes
- a Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation , Favaloro University , Buenos Aires , Argentina
- b National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) , Buenos Aires , Argentina
- e Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders , Australian Research Council (ACR) , Sydney , Australia
- i Department of Experimental Psychology , University of South Carolina , Columbia , SC , USA
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Schroeter ML, Pawelke S, Bisenius S, Kynast J, Schuemberg K, Polyakova M, Anderl-Straub S, Danek A, Fassbender K, Jahn H, Jessen F, Kornhuber J, Lauer M, Prudlo J, Schneider A, Uttner I, Thöne-Otto A, Otto M, Diehl-Schmid J. A Modified Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Predicts Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia Better Than Executive Function Tests. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:11. [PMID: 29441012 PMCID: PMC5797534 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is characterized by deep alterations in behavior and personality. Although revised diagnostic criteria agree for executive dysfunction as most characteristic, impairments in social cognition are also suggested. The study aimed at identifying those neuropsychological and behavioral parameters best discriminating between bvFTD and healthy controls. Eighty six patients were diagnosed with possible or probable bvFTD according to Rascovsky et al. (2011) and compared with 43 healthy age-matched controls. Neuropsychological performance was assessed with a modified Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Stroop task, Trail Making Test (TMT), Hamasch-Five-Point Test (H5PT), and semantic and phonemic verbal fluency tasks. Behavior was assessed with the Apathy Evaluation Scale, Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale, and Bayer Activities of Daily Living Scale. Each test's discriminatory power was investigated by Receiver Operating Characteristic curves calculating the area under the curve (AUC). bvFTD patients performed significantly worse than healthy controls in all neuropsychological tests. Discriminatory power (AUC) was highest in behavioral questionnaires, high in verbal fluency tasks and the RMET, and lower in executive function tests such as the Stroop task, TMT and H5PT. As fluency tasks depend on several cognitive functions, not only executive functions, results suggest that the RMET discriminated better between bvFTD and control subjects than other executive tests. Social cognition should be incorporated into diagnostic criteria for bvFTD in the future, such as in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, as already suggested in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias L Schroeter
- Leipzig & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sarah Pawelke
- Leipzig & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sandrine Bisenius
- Leipzig & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Kynast
- Leipzig & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katharina Schuemberg
- Leipzig & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maryna Polyakova
- Leipzig & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Adrian Danek
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Holger Jahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Frank Jessen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Lauer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Prudlo
- Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Anja Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ingo Uttner
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Angelika Thöne-Otto
- Leipzig & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Janine Diehl-Schmid
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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42
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Van Assche L, Morrens M, Luyten P, Van de Ven L, Vandenbulcke M. The neuropsychology and neurobiology of late-onset schizophrenia and very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis: A critical review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 83:604-621. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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43
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Park S, Kim T, Shin SA, Kim YK, Sohn BK, Park HJ, Youn JH, Lee JY. Behavioral and Neuroimaging Evidence for Facial Emotion Recognition in Elderly Korean Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, and Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:389. [PMID: 29249960 PMCID: PMC5714934 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Facial emotion recognition (FER) is impaired in individuals with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) when compared to healthy older adults. Since deficits in emotion recognition are closely related to caregiver burden or social interactions, researchers have fundamental interest in FER performance in patients with dementia. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the performance profiles of six facial emotions (i.e., fear, anger, disgust, sadness, surprise, and happiness) and neutral faces measured among Korean healthy control (HCs), and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD, and FTD. Additionally, the neuroanatomical correlates of facial emotions were investigated. Methods: A total of 110 (33 HC, 32 MCI, 32 AD, 13 FTD) older adult participants were recruited from two different medical centers in metropolitan areas of South Korea. These individuals underwent an FER test that was used to assess the recognition of emotions or absence of emotion (neutral) in 35 facial stimuli. Repeated measures two-way analyses of variance were used to examine the distinct profiles of emotional recognition among the four groups. We also performed brain imaging and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on the participants to examine the associations between FER scores and gray matter volume. Results: The mean score of negative emotion recognition (i.e., fear, anger, disgust, and sadness) clearly discriminated FTD participants from individuals with MCI and AD and HC [F(3,106) = 10.829, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.235], whereas the mean score of positive emotion recognition (i.e., surprise and happiness) did not. A VBM analysis showed negative emotions were correlated with gray matter volume of anterior temporal regions, whereas positive emotions were related to gray matter volume of fronto-parietal regions. Conclusion: Impairment of negative FER in patients with FTD is cross-cultural. The discrete neural correlates of FER indicate that emotional recognition processing is a multi-modal system in the brain. Focusing on the negative emotion recognition is a more effective way to discriminate healthy aging, MCI, and AD from FTD in older Korean adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soowon Park
- Department of Education, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Taehoon Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University and SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seong A Shin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yu Kyeong Kim
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bo Kyung Sohn
- Department of Psychiatry, Inje Univiersity Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeon-Ju Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University and SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung-Hae Youn
- Graduate School of Clinical Counseling Psychology, CHA University, Pocheon, South Korea
| | - Jun-Young Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University and SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
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44
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Arrant AE, Filiano AJ, Warmus BA, Hall AM, Roberson ED. Progranulin haploinsufficiency causes biphasic social dominance abnormalities in the tube test. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 15:588-603. [PMID: 27213486 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in progranulin (GRN) are a major autosomal dominant cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurodegenerative disorder in which social behavior is disrupted. Progranulin-insufficient mice, both Grn(+/-) and Grn(-/-) , are used as models of FTD due to GRN mutations, with Grn(+/-) mice mimicking the progranulin haploinsufficiency of FTD patients with GRN mutations. Grn(+/-) mice have increased social dominance in the tube test at 6 months of age, although this phenotype has not been reported in Grn(-/-) mice. In this study, we investigated how the tube test phenotype of progranulin-insufficient mice changes with age, determined its robustness under several testing conditions, and explored the associated cellular mechanisms. We observed biphasic social dominance abnormalities in Grn(+/-) mice: at 6-8 months, Grn(+/-) mice were more dominant than wild-type littermates, while after 9 months of age, Grn(+/-) mice were less dominant. In contrast, Grn(-/-) mice did not exhibit abnormal social dominance, suggesting that progranulin haploinsufficiency has distinct effects from complete progranulin deficiency. The biphasic tube test phenotype of Grn(+/-) mice was associated with abnormal cellular signaling and neuronal morphology in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. At 6-9 months, Grn(+/-) mice exhibited increased mTORC2/Akt signaling in the amygdala and enhanced dendritic arbors in the basomedial amygdala, and at 9-16 months Grn(+/-) mice exhibited diminished basal dendritic arbors in the prelimbic cortex. These data show a progressive change in tube test dominance in Grn(+/-) mice and highlight potential underlying mechanisms by which progranulin insufficiency may disrupt social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Arrant
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - A J Filiano
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - B A Warmus
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - A M Hall
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - E D Roberson
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Simm LA, Jamieson RD, Ong B, Garner MWJ, Kinsella GJ. Making sense of self in Alzheimer's disease: reflective function and memory. Aging Ment Health 2017; 21:501-508. [PMID: 26666687 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2015.1120706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current investigation examined the relationship between cognitive impairment and sense of self in Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHOD Forty-nine participants with dementia associated with AD were recruited through memory clinics in Victoria, Australia. The 26 participants of the healthy control sample were recruited from a retirement village. Self was measured via the Reflective Self-Function Scale - a theory of mind indicator that provides personal and social self-reflection scores. Cognitive assessment included measures of new learning, executive function, and speed of information processing. RESULTS A reduction in sense of self in mild AD was demonstrated in both personal and social domains, as compared to healthy adults of a similar age. With a focus on specific cognitive impairment relationships, new learning was found to predict personal self-reflection, whereas speed of information processing predicted social self-reflection capacity. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that deficits in new learning ability contribute to a reduced ability of people with early AD to understand their mental world and interpret thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about themselves. This impaired capacity to self-reflect will be intrusive in daily activities that require monitoring of current self-performance. Furthermore, with reduced speed of information processing found to impact on ability to reflect on social relations, individuals with AD are placed at risk of reduced ability to understand their social world, including communicating and interacting with others. Notwithstanding the overall group findings, individual variability was evident which reinforces the need for person-centred care in dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise A Simm
- a School of Psychological Science , La Trobe University , Bendigo , Australia
| | - Robert D Jamieson
- a School of Psychological Science , La Trobe University , Bendigo , Australia
| | - Ben Ong
- b School of Psychological Science , La Trobe University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Mark W J Garner
- c Centre for Language Assessment Research , University of Roehamptom , London , United Kingdom
| | - Glynda J Kinsella
- b School of Psychological Science , La Trobe University , Melbourne , Australia.,d Department of Psychology , Caulfield Hospital , Caulfield , Australia
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46
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Fong SS, Paholpak P, Daianu M, Deutsch MB, Riedel BC, Carr AR, Jimenez EE, Mather MM, Thompson PM, Mendez MF. The attribution of animacy and agency in frontotemporal dementia versus Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2017; 92:81-94. [PMID: 28458182 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Impaired attribution of animacy (state of living or being sentient) and of agency (capability of intrinsically-driven action) may underlie social behavior disturbances in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). We presented the Heider and Simmel film of moving geometric shapes to 11 bvFTD patients, 11 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and 12 healthy controls (HCs) and rated their recorded verbal responses for animacy attribution and agency attribution. All participants had skin conductance (SC) continuously recorded while viewing the film, and all dementia participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for regions of interest. The bvFTD patients, but not the AD patients, were impaired in animacy attribution, compared to the HCs. In contrast, both bvFTD and AD groups were impaired in agency attribution, compared to the HCs, and only the HCs had increasing SC responsiveness during viewing of the film. On MRI analysis of cortical thicknesses, animacy scores significantly correlated across groups with the right pars orbitalis and opercularis; agency scores with the left inferior and superior parietal cortices and the supramarginal gyrus; and both scores with the left cingulate isthmus involved in visuospatial context. These findings suggest that bvFTD is specifically associated with impaired animacy attribution from right inferior frontal atrophy. In contrast, both dementias may have impaired agency attribution from left parietal cortical atrophy and absent SC increases during the film, a sympathetic indicator of attribution of a social "story" to the moving shapes. These findings clarify disease-related changes in social attribution and corroborate the neuroanatomical origins of animacy and agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia S Fong
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pongsatorn Paholpak
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Khon Kaen University, Khon Khaen, Thailand
| | - Madelaine Daianu
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mariel B Deutsch
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Neurology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brandalyn C Riedel
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrew R Carr
- Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Elvira E Jimenez
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle M Mather
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mario F Mendez
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurobehavior Unit, V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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47
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Ramanan S, de Souza LC, Moreau N, Sarazin M, Teixeira AL, Allen Z, Guimarães HC, Caramelli P, Dubois B, Hornberger M, Bertoux M. Determinants of theory of mind performance in Alzheimer's disease: A data-mining study. Cortex 2017; 88:8-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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48
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Poletti M, Cavallo M, Adenzato M. Detecting dysexecutive syndrome in neurodegenerative diseases: are we using an appropriate approach and effective diagnostic tools? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2017; 88:195. [PMID: 28213510 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-314744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Poletti
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Marco Cavallo
- eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy.,Azienda Sanitaria Locale Torino 3, Collegno, Italy
| | - Mauro Adenzato
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognitive Science, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Mouse models of frontotemporal dementia: A comparison of phenotypes with clinical symptomatology. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 74:126-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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50
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Gender differences in cognitive Theory of Mind revealed by transcranial direct current stimulation on medial prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41219. [PMID: 28117378 PMCID: PMC5259730 DOI: 10.1038/srep41219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender differences in social cognition are a long discussed issue, in particular those concerning Theory of Mind (ToM), i.e., the ability to explain and predict other people's mental states. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to test the hypothesis that anodal tDCS over the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) selectively enhances cognitive ToM performance in females. In the first experiment we administered to sixteen females and sixteen males a cognitive ToM task during anodal or placebo tDCS over the mPFC. In the second experiment further sixteen females completed the task receiving anodal or placebo tDCS over the vertex. The results showed that anodal tDCS over the mPFC enhances ToM in females but not in males, an effect indicated by enhanced ToM in females that received anodal tDCS over the mPFC compared with females that received tDCS over the vertex. These findings are relevant for three reasons. First, we found evidence of gender-related differences in cognitive ToM, extending previous findings concerning affective ToM. Second, these differences emerge with anodal stimulation of the mPFC, confirming the crucial role of this area in cognitive ToM. Third, we show that taking into account gender-related differences is mandatory for the investigation of ToM.
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