The association of theory of mind with language and visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study

The association of theory of mind with language and visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study

Objective: Dysfunction of social cognition is well-recognized as one of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cognitive impairments. Previous studies have mostly associated social cognition subcomponents, including Theory of Mind (ToM), with executive dysfunction using highly-demanding tasks. In the p...

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Published in:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration Vol. 23; no. 5-6; pp. 462 - 469
Main Authors: Panopoulou, Niki, Christidi, Foteini, Kourtesis, Panagiotis, Ferentinos, Panagiotis, Karampetsou, Panagiota, Tsirtsiridis, Georgios, Theodosiou, Thomas, Xirou, Sofia, Zouvelou, Vasiliki, Evdokimidis, Ioannis, Rentzos, Michail, Zalonis, Ioannis
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Taylor & Francis 03-07-2022
Subjects:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Cognitive science
Human health and pathology
language
Life Sciences
Psychology
social cognition
theory of mind
visuospatial
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
language
social cognition
theory of mind
visuospatial
Visuospatial
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Language
Theory of Mind
Social Cognition
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Summary:Objective: Dysfunction of social cognition is well-recognized as one of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cognitive impairments. Previous studies have mostly associated social cognition subcomponents, including Theory of Mind (ToM), with executive dysfunction using highly-demanding tasks. In the present study, we investigate dysfunction of affective ToM in a sample of ALS patients without dementia and evaluate any possible associations both with executive and non-executive dysfunction. Methods: We included 42 ALS patients and 30 healthy controls (HC) and administered the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Screen (ECAS). Affective ToM was examined based on the ECAS judgment of preference task; total score and type of errors ("favourite", "unclassified") were recorded for all participants. Results: A significant proportion of ALS patients (31%) were impaired on ToM task, scoring significantly lower compared to HC. Impairments in ToM task were more frequent (45%) in patients with cognitive impairment compared to those with intact cognition (15%). ALS patients showed significantly more errors on ToM task compared to HC. A significant association was found between ToM score and ECAS language and visuospatial abilities but not fluency, executive or memory function. Conclusion: Dysfunction of affective ToM appears prevalent in ALS patients without dementia, and associates with language and visuospatial abilities. These associations align with motor and extra-motor symptoms due to the degeneration across corresponding networks. Impaired ToM should be considered in clinical settings, since it might contribute to patients' social life, as well as the burden of their caregivers and relatives.
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ISSN:2167-8421
2167-9223
DOI:10.1080/21678421.2021.2013893