Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment "National Cardiology Hospital", Clinic of Neurology, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Department of Neurosurgery, "St. Ivan Rilski" University Hospital, Clinic of Neurosurgery, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Neurol India. 2020 Jan-Feb;68(1):94-98. doi: 10.4103/0028-3886.279700.
Social cognitive impairments are an essential aspect of general disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). They can manifest independently or in addition to physical deficits.
To examine the impairment of social cognition and its potential relationship with the grade of disability in MS patients.
Our study included 17 healthy controls and 36 patients with clinically definite MS (relapsing-remittent form) according to the McDonald Criteria (2010). The patients were divided into two groups - patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) <3.5 (N = 18) and those with EDSS ≥3.5 (N = 18). The neuropsychological battery included empathy assessment (Self-Compassion, "Reading the Mind") and theory of mind tests - ToM (Faux pas, cartoons).
We did not register a change in self-assessment empathy in MS. Reading the Mind in Eye test showed a clear tendency for deterioration with increasing physical disability. The statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) between the results of controls and patients with EDSS ≥3.5 was registered. The tests for interpreting stories perceived in an auditory manner ("faux pas") showed a clear trend toward "failure" among patients (P < 0.05). The results of patients with high disability in ToM cartoons task were statistically worse (P < 0.01) both in comparison to those of controls and patients with EDSS <3.5.
Our study found that, during the course of MS, deterioration of both social cognitive skills and basic cognitive abilities occurs, which is parallel to physical disability.
社会认知障碍是多发性硬化症（MS）患者整体残疾的一个重要方面。它们可以独立存在，也可以与身体缺陷同时存在。
研究社会认知障碍及其与 MS 患者残疾程度的潜在关系。
我们的研究包括 17 名健康对照者和 36 名根据 McDonald 标准（2010 年）确诊的临床 MS 患者（复发缓解型）。将患者分为两组 - 扩展残疾状态量表（EDSS）<3.5（N = 18）和 EDSS ≥3.5（N = 18）。神经心理学测试包包括同理心评估（自我同情，“读心”）和心理理论测试- ToM（失误，漫画）。
我们没有发现 MS 患者自我评估同理心的变化。阅读 Mind in Eye 测试显示，随着身体残疾程度的增加，同理心明显恶化。在控制组和 EDSS ≥3.5 的患者之间，结果存在统计学差异（P < 0.05）。以听觉方式感知故事的测试（“失误”）显示出患者明显的“失败”趋势（P < 0.05）。在 ToM 漫画任务中，残疾程度较高的患者的结果在统计学上更差（P < 0.01），与对照组和 EDSS <3.5 的患者相比均如此。
我们的研究发现，在 MS 病程中，社会认知能力和基本认知能力都会恶化，与身体残疾程度平行。
