Correlation of empathy with cognitive function in patients with cerebral small vessel disease

Abstract

Objective To explore the empathy of patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and its relationship with cognitive functions. Methods A total of 35 patients with CSVD and 26 normal controls with matching gender, age and education were enrolled.The Chinese version of the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI-C) and the multifaceted empathy test(MET) were used to assess the empathy of the participants.The montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA), the Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA), and the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) were applied to assess participants' overall cognitive function and emotional state.SPSS 19.0 software was used to analyze the differences between the CSVD group and the control group, while the influencing factors of empathy were studied by Pearson correlation analysis. Results The total scores of IRI, perspective taking(PT), fantasy(FS) and empathy concern(EC) of CSVD patients ((37.25±11.71), (6.94±4.35), (9.45±4.68) and (16.40±4.34)) were lower than those of the control group ((50.61±11.07), (11.84±3.90), (13.23±5.01), (19.69±3.03)), and the differences were statistically significant (IRI score: t=4.506, P 0.05). The MET-C results showed that there was a difference in the correct number of empathic emotion recognition between the two groups(CVSD group: (25.08±6.77), control group: (32.30±3.42), t=4.978, P 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the total score of IRI and PT in the CSVD group were positively correlated with education level (r=0.374, 0.471, both P<0.05). PT was positively correlated with MoCA score (r=0.458, P=0.006). PD was positively correlated with HAMA score and HAMD score (r=0.521, 0.541, both P<0.05). The correct number of emotion recognition was positively correlated with education level (r=0.600, P<0.001) and MoCA score (r=0.665, P<0.001), and negatively correlated with HAMA score(r=-0.445, P<0.05) and HAMD score (r=-0.421, P<0.05). Conclusion The empathy of patients with CSVD is lower than that of the normal group, and it is manifested as a decline in cognitive empathy, which is positively related to the overall cognitive function. Key words: Cerebral small vessel disease; Empathy; Cognitive function