Examining the “reading the mind in the eyes test” as an assessment of subtle differences in affective theory of mind after concussion

Abstract

Objective: This research examined affective theory of mind (ToM) differences between university students with and without a history of concussion using the revised Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Although, previous studies have shown that affective ToM is subserved by the ventromedial prefrontal cortex – a region that is vulnerable in head injury – few have examined whether subtle deficits in affective ToM are evident after concussion. Given the RMET’s sensitivity to affective deficits following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury, the current study examined its validity following concussion and its correlation with related ToM measures and constructs, such as empathy.Method: Seventy-seven students with and without a history of self-reported concussion completed the RMET, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a novel Perspective-Taking Task, and the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy. Indices of spelling/reading capabilities were obtained and baseline electrodermal activation was recorded as an index of arousal.Results: RMET performance did not differ between individuals with and without a prior concussion when controlling for sex and spelling/reading skills and was not correlated with other measures of affective ToM, empathy, and arousal. However, spelling/reading skills were found to be a predictor of RMET performance among both concussion and no-concussion groups.Conclusions: Together, these findings imply that the RMET is not sensitive to ToM impairments after concussion and may be related to language skills among neurotypical students.