Awareness Of Social Inference Test Research Articles

Factors related to social inferencing performance in moderate-severe, chronic TBI

ABSTRACT Objective Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), deficits in social cognition are common. Social inferencing is a crucial component of social cognition that enables an individual to understand the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of a communication partner when this information is not explicitly stated. Existing literature suggests a variety of factors contribute to social inferencing success (e.g. biological sex, executive functioning), yet findings are not conclusive, largely because these factors have been examined in isolation. Method In this cross-sectional study, stepwise regression with cross validation was used to examine the extent that several theoretically motivated factors were associated with social inferencing (measured by performance on The Awareness of Social Inference Test [TASIT]) in adult participants with TBI (n = 105). Demographic information, executive functioning, aggression, emotional functioning measures, and participation in society were all examined in relation to social inferencing performance. Results The findings confirm the importance of higher-level cognitive skills (i.e. executive functioning) in social inferencing, and advance the literature by underlining the potential importance of productive participation in social inferencing performance. Conclusion This study innovatively highlights factors linked with social inferencing skills and, in doing so, how deficits in social inferencing might manifest in the lives of individuals with TBI.

A - 51 The Interaction of Social Cognition Deficits and Personality Change in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Small studies have suggested individuals with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) may have socioemotional deficits (i.e., poor emotion recognition and mentalizing). However, consideration has not been given to the interplay of social cognition and personality changes. The present study used multiple personality and social cognition measures to identify neurologically-driven socioemotional changes in PSP. Data was collected from 177 individuals: 77 with PSP and 100 older healthy controls (HC). The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) measures patients' comprehension of emotional videos (Emotion Evaluation Test: EET) and everyday social interactions (Social Inference Enriched: SI-E). Premorbid and current personality was reported by informants using the Interpersonal Adjectives Scale (IAS) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Groups were compared controlling for age and sex; statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. PSPs displayed impairment in reading emotions on the TASIT-EET (M:9.1 ± SD:2.66) and inferring others' intentions on the TASIT-SIE (44.8 ± 6.12) compared to HCs (11.5 ± 1.48; 53.8 ± 4.94). PSPs showed clinically (-1.5 SD) and statistically significant drops from premorbid levels in Extraversion (IAS current T: 37.0 ± 16.28; BFI: 20.1 ± 5.80) and IAS Dominance (39.9 ± 13.54). PSP patients showed significant deficits at multiple levels of emotion reading and theory of mind, impairing their comprehension of social communication. This may in turn explain the observed declines in interpersonal dominance and extraversion, possibly reflecting loss of agency and sociableness with disease progression. These results reveal more clinically significant socioemotional deficits in PSP than are generally recognized, and suggest face-to-face social testing and informant reports of personality change can be valuable testing approaches.

A - 132 Social Cognition Predicts Functional Outcomes in Serious Mental Illness.

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are leading causes of functional disability worldwide. Difficulty completing instrumental and more routine activities of daily living is one of the most limiting and overlooked features of these disorders. The current study investigated whether deficits in social cognition are associated with increased functional disability in overall serious mental illness (SMI). Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ; N = 22), bipolar disorder with psychotic features (BP+; N = 20) and without psychotic features (BP-; N = 21), and healthy controls (HC; N = 22) completed The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) to examine emotion identification and social inference, and The University of California, San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA) to assess functional capacity. A mixed model ANOVA was performed to examine group differences and multiple regression was used to determine if social cognition predicted social functioning. The SZ group showed significantly worse UPSA functional performance compared to all other groups. The three diagnostic groups (SZ, BP+, BP-) were merged to yield an overall SMI group (N = 63). Multiple regressions indicated TASIT emotion identification and social inference predicted UPSA functioning in household maintenance, communication, finance management, and planning. Social inference was the strongest predictor of overall UPSA functioning, compared to emotion identification. TASIT scores predicted performance across several domains of functioning in SMI. Since functional outcomes are a strong indicator of clinical recovery throughout the course of SMI, additional research may investigate the role that social cognitive abilities play in this recovery.

A - 131 Social Adjustment and Functioning in Serious Mental Illness Is Predicted by Social Cognition.

Deficits in social cognition (SC) and social functioning (SF) are prominent in schizophrenia. This study used standardized assessments to examine SC and SF to determine if similar deficits are present in persons diagnosed with bipolar disorders. The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) was used to assess emotion identification and social inference, and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) to assess SF domains (Social Engagement, Interpersonal Communication, Independent Performance, Independent Competence, Recreation, Prosocial, and Employment). The TASIT and SFS were administered to individuals with schizophrenia (SZ; N = 22), bipolar disorder with psychotic features (BP+; N = 20) or without psychotic features (BP-; N = 21), and healthy controls (HC; N = 22). Mixed model ANOVA examined group differences and multiple regression determined if SC predicted SF. The SZ group showed significantly worse SF compared to all other groups. There was no significant difference between the BP+ and BP-, and both BP groups performed worse than HCs. For multiple regression, the three clinical groups (SZ, BP+, BP-) were combined to yield an overall SMI group (N = 63). TASIT emotion identification and social inference predicted performance on SFS domains of Independent Performance, Independent Competence, Recreation, Prosocial, and SFS total score. Emotion identification was the strongest predictor of the Independent Performance domain in comparison to social inference. Performance on the TASIT predicted performance across several domains of SF in SMI. Differences were present based on the specific SC abilities and SF domains, suggesting SC abilities are more strongly associated with some functional domains but not others, which may help guide clinical decision making.

A - 130 Differences in Emotion Identification in Schizophrenia, Bipolar with or without Psychosis, and Healthy Controls.

Research suggests individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar with psychotic features have difficulty accurately identifying emotions expressed by others. Such findings raise questions to whether impairments in emotion identification are better explained by the presence of psychosis, regardless of diagnosis. The Emotion Evaluation Test (EET) of The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) was administered to individuals with schizophrenia (SZ; N = 22), bipolar disorder with psychotic features (BP+; N = 20), bipolar disorder without psychotic features (BP-; N = 21), and healthy controls (HC; N = 22). The EET comprises 24 video vignettes portraying happiness, surprise, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and neutral emotions. Participants were prompted to identify the emotion in each vignette. Emotion identification of positive, negative, and neutral emotions was compared between groups. Group comparisons showed that the SZ group performed significantly worse than the other groups when identifying positive and negative emotions. The BP+ group performed significantly worse than BP- and HC when identifying negative emotions. No significant differences were found in neutral emotion identification between groups. The BP+ group was less accurate in identifying negative emotions but not positive emotions compared to the BP- and HC groups. Further investigation is required to determine factors that contribute to this differential performance.

A protocol for the development and validation of a virtual reality-based clinical test of social cognition

BackgroundImpairments in social cognition are common after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and may have severe negative consequences for patients and their families. Most tests of social cognition have limited ecological validity due to simplistic and contrived social stimuli with limited relevance to everyday social functioning. There is a need for measures of social cognition that reflect the dynamic, multimodal and contextualized nature of social situations and that predict real-world functioning. Three hundred sixty–degree (360°) Virtual Reality (VR) video can increase ecological validity through enhanced social presence, or a sense of “being there”. This paper describes the development and protocol design for validation of a Norwegian VR-version of The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), which is a widely used video-based test of social cognition.MethodsDevelopment of VR TASIT included filming 61 short videos depicting social interactions in both VR and desktop format, using a 360° camera. Software for standardized test administration and collection of performance data was developed in Unity, for administration on both VR and desktop interface. The validation study will test the reliability and validity of VR TASIT in participants with TBI (n = 100) and healthy controls (n = 100). Half of the participants will perform the desktop version, and the other half the VR version. Analyses will include known groups validity, convergent and divergent validity, as well as test–retest reliability of VR TASIT. A comparison of the ability of TASIT VR and desktop versions to predict real-world functioning (ecological validity) will be explored using the Social Skills Questionnaire for TBI and La Trobe Communication Questionnaire. Finally, the levels of perceived social presence of the stimulus materials and prevalence of cybersickness after exposure to the virtual environment will be documented.DiscussionIt is expected that VR TASIT will have comparable or better psychometric properties than the desktop version, and that the hypothesized increased level of social presence experienced in a virtual environment will result in improved ecological validity. More broadly, benefits and limitations of using VR video as stimulus material in assessment of social cognition and considerations for future development and clinical validation are discussed.Trial registrationThe study protocol was pre-registered in ClinicalTrials (April 4th 2022, NCT05309005). The study was retrospectively registered in Open Science Framework (December 15th 2022, osf.io/2vem8).

Social cognition and real-life functioning in patient samples with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome with or without psychosis, compared to a large sample of patients with schizophrenia only and healthy controls.

Patients with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) show an increased risk of developing a psychotic illness lifetime. 22q11.2DS may represent a reliable model for studying the neurobiological underpinnings of schizophrenia. The study of social inference abilities in a genetic condition at high risk for psychosis, like 22q11.2DS, may shed light on the relationships between neurocognitive processes and patients' daily general functioning. The study sample consisted of 1736 participants, divided into four groups: 22q11.2DS patients with diagnosis of psychotic disorder (DEL SCZ, N = 20); 22q11.2DS subjects with no diagnosis of psychosis (DEL, N = 43); patients diagnosed with schizophrenia without 22q11.2DS (SCZ, N = 893); and healthy controls (HC, N = 780). Social cognition was assessed through The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) and general functioning through the Specific Levels of Functioning (SLoF) scale. We analysed data through regression analysis. The SCZ and DEL groups had similar levels of global functioning; they both had significantly lower SLoF Total scores than HC (p < .001); the DEL SCZ group showed significantly lower scores compared to the other groups (SCZ, p = .004; DEL, p = .003; HC, p < .001). A significant deficit in social cognition was observed in the three clinical groups. In the DEL SCZ and SCZ groups, TASIT scores significantly predicted global functioning (p < .05). Our findings of social cognition deficit in psychosis-prone patients point to the possible future adoption of rehabilitation programmes, like Social Skills Training and Cognitive Remediation, during premorbid stages of psychosis.

Assessing Social Cognition Across Dementia Subtypes (P6-6.004)

<h3>Objective:</h3> In this study, we aim to determine the clinical utility of bedside social cognition assessments in the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We hypothesized that patients with FTD would score lower compared to patients with other neuropsychiatric disorders and healthy controls. <h3>Background:</h3> Although social cognition is selectively impaired in FTD, it is not routinely assessed in clinical evaluations, leading to frequent misdiagnoses such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and primary psychiatric disorders (PPD). <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> We created a battery of social cognition assessments that provide a comprehensive measurement of each patient’s social cognition, including degree of empathy, ability to identify emotions in others, and capacity to interpret social cues. The battery includes the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Mini-Social Cognition and Emotional Assessment (mini-SEA), and The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT-S). The battery was administered to 60 patients, including patients with FTD (n=11), AD (n=18), vascular dementia (VD) (n=9), Lewy Body Dementia (DLB) (n=3), PPD (n=9), and 10 healthy controls (HC). We then calculated the averages in assessment scores for comparison across subgroups (FTD, AD, VD, DLB, PPD, and HC). <h3>Results:</h3> Patients with FTD had lower scores across all assessments. On the IRI, the average score for FTD patients was 49.3 ±6.80 compared to AD (67.8), VD (57.2), DLB (58.7), PPD (62.1), and HC (69.6). The average score on the Mini-SEA was 25.2 ±2.98 for FTD patients compared to AD (30.3), VD (30.3), DLB (30.0), PPD (30.4), and HC (33.5). The average total score on the TASIT-S for FTD patients was 24.2 ±1.93 compared to AD (26.0), VD (24.2), DLB (24.2), PPD (26.8), and HC (29.5). <h3>Conclusions:</h3> The FTD subgroup consistently scored lower on all assessments in the social cognition battery, demonstrating the potential for bedside social cognition assessments for early diagnosis of FTD. <b>Disclosure:</b> Miss Lorino has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Tulane University. The institution of Miss Lorino has received research support from National Institutes of Health. Ms. Yang has nothing to disclose. Ms. Covaciu has nothing to disclose. The institution of Dr. Seibert has received research support from Retirement Research Foundation. The institution of Dr. Seibert has received research support from Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation.

The interaction of the oxytocin receptor gene and child abuse subtypes on social cognition in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder type I.

Most studies on cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder have neglected the role of early stress, despite the high frequency of childhood maltreatment in this clinical group. The aim of this study was to establish a connection between a history of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in childhood and social cognition (SC) in patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) in euthymia, and to test a possible moderating effect of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs53576 in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). One hundred and one participants were included in this study. History of child abuse was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. Cognitive functioning was appraised using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (social cognition). The interaction effect between the independent variables OXTR rs53576 (AA/AG and GG) and the absence or presence of any one type of child maltreatment or a combination of types was analyzed using a generalized linear model regression. BD-I patients who had been victims of physical and emotional abuse in childhood and were carriers of the GG genotype at OXTR rs53576 displayed greater SC alterations, specifically in emotion recognition. This gene-environment interaction finding suggests a differential susceptibility model of a genetic variants that can be plausibly associated with SC functioning and might help to identify at-risk clinical subgroups within a diagnostic category. Future research aimed at testing the interlevel impact of early stress constitutes an ethical-clinical duty given the high rates of childhood maltreatment reported in BD-I patients.

The Relationship between Motor Symptoms, Signs, and Parkinsonism with Facial Emotion Recognition Deficits in Individuals with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome at High Genetic Risk for Psychosis

Background. The 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a genetic condition at high risk of developing both psychosis and motor disorders. Social Cognition (SC) deficits have been associated not only with schizophrenia but also with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The present study assessed SC deficits in 22q11.2DS and investigated the interaction between motor symptoms and deficits in Facial Emotion Expressions (FEE) recognition and in Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks in people with 22q11.2DS. Methods. We recruited 38 individuals with 22q11.2DS without psychosis ( N = 38 , DEL) and 18 with 22q11.2DS and psychosis ( N = 18 , DEL_SCZ). The Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Ekman’s 60 Faces Test (EK-60F), the Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT EmRec), and the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS III) were administered. Correlations were sought between UPDRS III and both TASIT EmRec and EK-60F scores. Analyses were conducted separately for each psychopathological subgroup. Results. Higher UPDRS III ( p = 0.04 ) and lower EK-60F ( p = 0.025 ) scores were observed in the DEL_SCZ group. We found inverse correlations between UPDRS III and both TASIT EmRec ( r = − 0.289 , p = 0.031 ) and EK-60F ( r = − 0.387 , p = 0.006 ) scores in the whole sample. Correlations were no longer significant in the DEL_SCZ group (UPDRS III-TASIT EmRec p = 0.629 ; UPDRS III-EK60F p = 0.933 ) whilst being stronger in the DEL group (TASIT EmRec, r = − 0.560 , p &lt; 0.001 ; EK60F, r = − 0.542 , p &lt; 0.001 ). Analyses were adjusted for CPZ Eq and IQ. Conclusions. A modulation between FEE recognition deficits and motor symptoms and signs was observed in the 22q11.2DS group, likely affecting patients’ quality of life.

Co-Occurring Autism Spectrum and Borderline Personality Disorder: An Emerging Clinical Challenge Seeking Informed Interventions.

Co-Occurring Autism Spectrum and Borderline Personality Disorder: An Emerging Clinical Challenge Seeking Informed Interventions.

Disruption of early visual processing in amyloid-positive healthy individuals and mild cognitive impairment

BackgroundAmyloid deposition is a primary predictor of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative disorders. Retinal changes involving the structure and function of the ganglion cell layer are increasingly documented in both established and prodromal AD. Visual event-related potentials (vERP) are sensitive to dysfunction in the magno- and parvocellular visual systems, which originate within the retinal ganglion cell layer. The present study evaluates vERP as a function of amyloid deposition in aging, and in mild cognitive impairment (MCI).MethodsvERP to stimulus-onset, motion-onset, and alpha-frequency steady-state (ssVEP) stimuli were obtained from 16 amyloid-positive and 41 amyloid-negative healthy elders and 15 MCI individuals and analyzed using time–frequency approaches. Social cognition was assessed in a subset of individuals using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT).ResultsNeurocognitively intact but amyloid-positive participants and MCI individuals showed significant deficits in stimulus-onset (theta) and motion-onset (delta) vERP generation relative to amyloid-negative participants (all p < .01). Across healthy elders, a composite index of these measures correlated highly (r = − .52, p < .001) with amyloid standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) and TASIT performance. A composite index composed of vERP measures significant differentiated amyloid-positive and amyloid-negative groups with an overall classification accuracy of > 70%.DiscussionvERP may assist in the early detection of amyloid deposition among older individuals without observable neurocognitive impairments and in linking previously documented retinal deficits in both prodromal AD and MCI to behavioral impairments in social cognition.

Does social cognition change? Evidence after 4years from the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses.

Deficits in social cognition (SC) are significantly related to community functioning in schizophrenia (SZ). Few studies investigated longitudinal changes in SC and its impact on recovery. In the present study, we aimed: (a) to estimate the magnitude and clinical significance of SC change in outpatients with stable SZ who were assessed at baseline and after 4years, (b) to identify predictors of reliable and clinically significant change (RCSC), and (c) to determine whether changes in SC over 4years predicted patient recovery at follow-up. The reliable change index was used to estimate the proportion of true change in SC, not attributable to measurement error. Stepwise multiple logistic regression models were used to identify the predictors of RCSC in a SC domain (The Awareness of Social Inference Test [TASIT]) and the effect of change in TASIT on recovery at follow-up. In 548 participants, statistically significant improvements were found for the simple and paradoxical sarcasm of TASIT scale, and for the total score of section 2. The reliable change index was 9.8. A cut-off of 45 identified patients showing clinically significant change. Reliable change was achieved by 12.6% and RCSC by 8% of participants. Lower baseline TASIT sect. 2 score predicted reliable improvement on TASIT sect. 2. Improvement in TASIT sect. 2 scores predicted functional recovery, with a 10-point change predicting 40% increase in the probability of recovery. The RCSC index provides a conservative way to assess the improvement in the ability to grasp sarcasm in SZ, and is associated with recovery.

Exploring neuropsychological underpinnings of poor communication after traumatic brain injury: The role of apathy, disinhibition and social cognition.

Dysarthria, aphasia and executive processes have been examined for their role in producing impaired communicative competence post traumatic brain injury (TBI). Less understood is the role of emotional dysregulation, that is, apathy and disinhibition, and social cognition, that is, reading and interpreting social cues. In this study, we examined 49 adults with moderate to severe TBI and 18 neurologically healthy adults. We hypothesised that apathy and disinhibition would predict communication outcomes as would social cognition. We also predicted that apathy and disinhibition would influence social cognition. Communication outcomes were measured by the La Trobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ) and the Social Skills Questionnaire-TBI (SSQ-TBI). Apathy and disinhibition were measured by the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). We measured four aspects of social cognition: emotion perception and theory of mind using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) and the Complex Audio-Visual Evaluation of Affect Test (CAVEAT), empathy using the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) and the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES), and alexithymia using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire. Consistent with predictions, the LCQ and SSQ-TBI were associated with disinhibition and the LCQ was also associated with apathy. The LCQ was associated with the full range of social cognition constructs although the SSQ-TBI was not. Finally, apathy and disinhibition predicted a number of social cognition measures. These results are discussed in relation to understanding the nature of communication disorders following TBI and how they are measured, as well as the interrelation between emotion dysregulation and social cognition. What is already known on this subject The role of emotional dysregulation and social cognition in producing impaired communicative competence post traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not well understood. Although most adults with severe TBI have minimal or possibly no language impairment, they often struggle with functional communication in everyday situations. Many have been reported to be overtalkative, insensitive, childish and self-centred, displaying an inappropriate level of self-disclosure and making tangential and irrelevant comments. Conversely, some speakers with TBI have been noted to have impoverished communication, producing little language either spontaneously or in response to the speaker's questions and prompts. What this paper adds to existing knowledge We found that both apathy and disinhibition were strongly associated with the Latrobe Communication Questionnaire both empirically and conceptually, despite the LCQ being developed from a different, pragmatic orientation. Disinhibition was also associated with the Social Skills Questionnaire for TBI. We also found that poor social cognition scores predicted communication difficulties. Finally, we found that behavioural dysregulation itself, i.e., both apathy and disinhibition, predicted poor social cognition. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Our findings highlight the central role that apathy and disinhibition play in both communication and social cognition. These insights point to the importance of remediation to target behavioural and autonomic dysregulation as a means to improve everyday social function.

Development of the Basel Version of the Awareness of Social Inference Test - Theory of Mind (BASIT-ToM) in healthy adults.

Impairments of Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities occur in a wide range of brain disorders. Therefore, reliable and ecologically valid examination of these abilities is a crucial part of any comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. An established and ecologically valid, English-language test identifying deficits in ToM abilities is "The Awareness of Social Inference Test - Social Inference Minimal (TASIT-SIM)". However, no comparable German-language ToM test currently exists. In this study, we aimed to develop the first German-language adaption of TASIT-SIM in healthy adults. We selected 13 scenes [four scenes per message type (i.e., honesty, simple sarcasm, paradoxical sarcasm) and one practice scene] out of the 30 TASIT-SIM scenes. In collaboration with a film institute, we filmed each scene at three different intensities. These intensity version scenes were then administered to 240 healthy adults, equally distributed in sex and age, ranging from 35 to 92 years. By applying Rasch analysis, we selected intensity versions that showed neither floor nor ceiling effects in the majority of ToM questions in participants whose ToM abilities were in the medium range. In conclusion, we have developed the first German-language adaption of TASIT-SIM, i.e., the "Basel Version of the Awareness of Social Inference Test - Theory of Mind (BASIT-ToM)". The BASIT-ToM incorporates the strengths of TASIT-SIM, while overcoming its limitations such as inconsistencies in cinematic realization and ceiling effects in healthy participants. Next, the BASIT-ToM needs to be validated in healthy people and clinical populations.

Associations between therapeutic working alliance and social cognition in neuro-rehabilitation

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of brain injury survivors´ social cognition abilities on their working alliance with their therapist. Participants in this study were individuals who were enrolled in a vocational rehabilitation programme for acquired brain injury. Seventy-two individuals with complicated mild to severe acquired brain injury (49%TBI, 38% stroke, 14% other injury; mean age 44.9 years; 75% male) entered in the study between 1.5 and 31 years after their injury (Md=5 years). The therapeutic alliance was rated retrospectively at the time of study by the participants´ primary therapists on the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI). Social cognition measures (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, Recognition of Faux Pas Test, The Awareness of Social Inference Test, TASIT; Social Situations Task, Bangor Gambling Task) were administered as well as a standard neuropsychological test battery and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Multilevel analyses revealed that both the TASIT and the Social Situations Task, but neither the standard neuropsychological tests nor the HADS were significantly related to WAI ratings. These findings indicate the impact that difficulties with emotions recognition and social rule violations can have on the formation of a therapeutic alliance.

Social Inference from Middle to Older Adulthood.

Inferring the emotional state or the true meaning of another person's utterance is a key aspect of social cognition and critical for successful social interactions. In this study, we assess age-related differences in emotion recognition and sincere and sarcastic social exchanges in the context of cognitive and demographic factors. One hundred and eighty-seven adults ranging from middle to older adulthood completed the Mini-SEA Emotion Recognition test and Part B of The Awareness of Social Inference Test - Short Form (TASIT-S). Fluid intelligence and executive abilities were also assessed. Sex differences and the relationship with education level were also investigated. Regression models were used to assess age-related differences controlling for baseline cognitive and demographic factors. Age was negatively associated with accuracy for inferring sincere social exchanges. No differences were identified for accuracy for inferring sarcastic exchanges. Likewise, no age differences were identified for emotion recognition (Mini-SEA). Fluid intelligence was associated with accuracy for inferring sincere exchanges, but this was independent of age-related effects. A female advantage was identified for emotion recognition. Age is associated with difficulty in inferring sincere exchanges, which is not explained by fluid intelligence, verbal abstract reasoning, or auditory verbal attention. A female advantage in emotion recognition is consistent with findings reported in younger adults. Both age and sex should be considered in clinical assessments using the Mini-SEA and the TASIT-S.

Decreased CSF oxytocin relates to measures of social cognitive impairment in Huntington's disease patients

ObjectiveHuntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease with motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Non-motor symptoms like depression and altered social cognition are proposed to be caused by dysfunction of the hypothalamus. We measured the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a cohort of HD gene expansion carriers (HDGECs), compared the levels to healthy HD family controls and correlated oxytocin levels to disease progression and social cognition. MethodsWe recruited 113 HDGECs and 33 controls. Psychiatric and cognitive symptoms were evaluated, and social cognition was assessed with the Emotion Hexagon test, Reading the Mind in the Eyes and The Awareness of Social Inference Test. The levels of oxytocin in CSF and blood were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. ResultsWe found the level of oxytocin in CSF to be significantly lower by 33.5% in HDGECs compared to controls (p = 0.016). When dividing the HDGECs into groups with or without cognitive impairment, we found the oxytocin level to be significantly lower by 30.3% in the HDGECs with cognitive symptoms (p = 0.046). We found a statistically significant correlation between the level of oxytocin and scores on social cognition (Reading the Mind in the Eyes p = 0.0019; Emotion Hexagon test: p = 0.0062; The Awareness of Social Inference Test: p = 0.002). ConclusionsThis is the first study to measure oxytocin in the CSF of HDGECs. We find that HDGECs have a significantly lower level of oxytocin compared to controls, and that the level of oxytocin may represent an objective and comparable measure that could be used as a state biomarker for impairment of social cognition. We suggest treatment trials to evaluate a potential effect of oxytocin on social cognition in HD.

Brief battery of the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation study (BB-SCOPE): Development and validation in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

The aim of the present study was to develop an abbreviated social cognition (SC) battery for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) to reduce the heterogeneity of and increase the frequency of assessment of SC impairment. To this end, the present study utilized Item Response Theory to develop brief versions of SC tasks administered to individuals with SSD (n = 386) and individuals without a psychiatric diagnosis (n = 292) during the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (SCOPE) Study. Seven brief measures of SC were evaluated (i.e., Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Questionnaire [AIHQ], Bell Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task [BLERT], Penn Emotion Recognition Task, Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task, Hinting Task, Intentionality Bias Task, Relationships Across Domains Task), and the existing brief version of The Awareness of Social Inference Test was reviewed. Psychometric properties for each brief SC measure were evaluated and compared to the original measures. Based on psychometric properties and relationships with other measures of SC, neurocognition, and functioning, two brief tasks (AIHQ, BLERT) and the full-length Hinting task were recommended for inclusion in a brief battery of SC tasks from the SCOPE Study (BB-SCOPE). The resulting BB-SCOPE is efficient, with an estimated administration time of 15 min, and comprehensively assesses three domains of SC (i.e., attributional bias, emotion processing, theory of mind) to identify severe SC impairment. Scoring of BB-SCOPE is also straightforward and includes a recommended cut-point of 60 for identifying SC impairment.

Exploring Changes in Social Inferencing and Negative Attributions Following an Intervention for Individuals with Brain Injury

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To investigate changes in social inferencing abilities and negative attribution tendencies in participants with traumatic brain injury (TBI) before and after receiving an intervention designed to teach more benign interpretations of others' behaviors. Secondarily, to examine the correlation between changes in social inferencing and negative attributions. <h3>Design</h3> Secondary analyses of measures employed in a randomized waitlist-controlled trial. <h3>Setting</h3> One TBI rehabilitation center <h3>Participants</h3> 15- 21 participants with complicated mild to severe TBI who were ≥1 year post-injury. All participants eventually received the ICAN intervention. <h3>Interventions</h3> Intervention to Change Attributions that are Negative (ICAN), is a 6-week group therapy that utilizes role-playing and perspective-positioning as techniques to alter participants' interpretations and judgments of others' actions. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) is a 3-part video assessment: Emotional Evaluation Test (EET); Social Inference-Minimal (SI-M) and Social Inference-Enriched (SI-E). EET involves identifying actors' emotions from multiple cues. SI-M requires inferences from sincere and sarcastic exchanges, and SI-E requires inferences from sarcasm and lies with additional context. The Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire (AIHQ) uses hypothetical scenarios to evaluate participants' negative attributions of intent, hostility, and blame regarding characters' actions, as well as how much anger and aggression participants felt in response to the scenarios. <h3>Results</h3> Due to low enrollment, subject data was pooled for before/after analyses. On average, scores on the TASIT subtests (n=21) did not significantly change post-ICAN; however, a minimum clinically important difference of .5 SD was identified in 38%, 19%, and 29% for EET, SI-M, and SI-E, respectively. On the AIHQ (n=15), attributions of intent, anger response, and aggression response significantly reduced post-intervention (p <.05). Hostility and blame attributions trended towards significant improvements (p=.084 and .094 respectively). Changes in SI-M scores correlated with changes in blame (r=-.620, p<.05) and aggression (r=-.836, p<.01). <h3>Conclusions</h3> The ICAN intervention may reduce negative attributions post TBI, which may be related to changes in social inferencing. These promising results warrant more research. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> No conflicts of interest.