Can New Technologies Make Us More Human? An Inquiry on VR Technologies in Social Cognition

New directions for studying the aging social-cognitive brain

The study of social cognition has extended across the lifespan with a recent special focus on the impacts of aging on the social-cognitive brain. This review summarizes current knowledge on social perception, theory of mind, empathy, and social behavior from a social-cognitive neuroscience of aging perspective and identifies new directions for studying the aging social-cognitive brain. These new directions highlight the need for (i) standardized operationalization and analysis of social-cognitive constructs; (ii) use of naturalistic paradigms to enhance ecological validity of social-cognitive measures; (iii) application of repeated assessments via single-N designs for robust delineation of social-cognitive processes in the aging brain; (iv) increased representation of vulnerable aging populations in social-cognitive brain research to enhance diversity, promote generalizability, and allow for cross-population comparisons.

Use of Technologies in the Therapy of Social Cognition Deficits in Neurological and Mental Diseases: A Systematic Review

Objective: This article systematically reviews the effects of technology-based (TB) treatments on impaired social cognition (SC) in neurological and mental disorders. Methods: Strictly adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was carried out in PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science (last search: April 22, 2021) to identify studies that, implementing a control group design, evaluated TB treatments targeting deficits in emotion recognition, Theory of Mind (ToM) and social behavior in adult patients with nondevelopmental and nonprogressive neurological or mental disorders. Risk of bias was assessed using the PEDro Scale, certainty assessment followed the GRADE approach. Results: Sixteen studies involving 857 patients, all focusing on psychotic disorders, were retrieved. The most pronounced effects were observed concerning emotion recognition with all studies revealing overall improvements. Regarding ToM and social behavior, results were mixed. However, the number of studies including outcome measures for these domains, is significantly lower compared to the domain of emotion recognition, limiting the validity of the results. Risk of bias and certainty assessment revealed further limitations of evidence. Conclusion: TB treatment achieves positive effects especially with regard to emotion recognition impairments, at least for patients with schizophrenia. Future research should expand the evaluation of TB training of other SC domains, ought to be carried out in more diverse patient populations, rely on different devices, and include follow-up measurements.

Ethical Challenges of Using Virtual Environments in the Assessment and Treatment of Psychopathological Disorders

Clinicians are increasingly interested in the potential of virtual environments for research and praxes. Virtual environments include both immersive and non-immersive simulations of everyday activities. Moreover, algorithmic devices and adaptive virtual environments allow clinicians a medium for personalizing technologies to their patients. There is also increasing recognition of social virtual environments that connect virtual environments to social networks. Although there has been a great deal of deliberation on these novel technologies for assessment and treatment, less discourse has occurred around the ethical challenges that may ensue when these technologies are applied clinically. In this paper, some of the ethical issues involved in the clinical use of novel technologies are discussed.

[Humanization: A Conceptual and Attitudinal Problem]

The exercise of medicine has changed since its beginnings up to the present day. Technological advances and changes in the management of the health service caused a distance between the patient and the doctor. On the other hand, professionals prefer to not have their own patients, but rather to strictly adhere to the diagnosis or treatment (specialists) without involving or committing themselves. A fragmentation of the attention that does not benefit the patient can thus be observed. The humanization in medical attention is characterized by a group of practices that are orientated at achieving better attention and greater care. The humanization process of the endeavor contributes so that this is welcomed by the other party, to improve the relationship, the patientś safety and to prevent medical errors.