Social-cognitive Functioning: Validation of a New Neuropsychological Test and Prediction of Social Behavioural Disorders in Daily Life

What this Trial Is About

Disturbances in social cognition are common in neurological conditions and contribute to social conduct disorders, making their assessment vital for early and appropriate care. This research focuses on validating a new serious game test called REALSoCog, designed to better detect social behavior disturbances that might not be obvious during consultations but are often reported by caregivers. The study targets patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration to evaluate the test's ability to identify social-cognitive issues and document socio-cognitive profiles in these conditions. Participants in this study will perform the REALSoCog task, which involves thinking about 16 social situations within a virtual city environment using a laptop, without extra devices. Patients will also complete social-cognitive tasks from the BCS battery to compare results, while caregivers or relatives will receive questionnaires assessing the patients' social behavior. The study includes both patients with specific neurodegenerative diseases and their relatives who have regular contact with them. During the study, participants will be assessed on various social cognition aspects, including inappropriate behavioral intentions, moral cognition, empathy, emotional reactivity, and theory of mind, with each evaluation lasting about one and a half hours. Caregivers will provide information through questionnaires to validate the test further. The study runs from February 2026 to February 2030 and aims to improve understanding of social cognition disturbances and their relation to individual factors like mood and social participation.

Social-cognitive Functioning: Validation of a New Neuropsychological Test