Social cognition impairments after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: associations with deficits in interpersonal behaviour, apathy, and impaired self-awareness

In conclusion, emotion recognition, ToM and empathy were clearly impaired in aSAH patients and these deficits were related to apathy and deficits in interpersonal behaviour as reported by proxies and to impaired self-awareness. This association strengthens the assumption of impaired social cognition as an underlying construct of behavioural problems after aSAH. Consequently, social cognition tests and proxy-ratings should be used in clinical practice, irrespective of lesion location on MRI or aneurysm circulation, to improve the detection and treatment of apathy and deficits in interpersonal behaviour after aSAH.
Source: Neuropsychologia - Category: Neurology Source Type: research