Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity
Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states to others. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by profound deficits in social cognition, including ToM. We investigate whether bvFTD affects intention attribution tenden...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | NeuroImage: Clinical |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158219301202 |
| _version_ | 1819035560909471744 |
|---|---|
| author | Jan Van den Stock François-Laurent De Winter Daphne Stam Laura Van de Vliet Yun-An Huang Eva Dries Lies Van Assche Louise Emsell Filip Bouckaert Mathieu Vandenbulcke |
| author_facet | Jan Van den Stock François-Laurent De Winter Daphne Stam Laura Van de Vliet Yun-An Huang Eva Dries Lies Van Assche Louise Emsell Filip Bouckaert Mathieu Vandenbulcke |
| author_sort | Jan Van den Stock |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states to others. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by profound deficits in social cognition, including ToM. We investigate whether bvFTD affects intention attribution tendency while viewing abstract animations and whether this might represent a primary deficit. A sample of 15 bvFTD patients and 19 matched controls were assessed on cognition and performed an implicit ToM task. They were instructed to describe what they observed in movement patterns displayed by geometrical shapes (triangles). These movement patterns either represented animacy, goal-directed actions or manipulation of mental state (ToM). The responses were scored for both accuracy and intentionality attribution. Using Voxel-Based Morphometry, we investigated the structural neuroanatomy associated with intention attribution tendency. The behavioral results revealed deficits in the bvFTD group on intentionality attribution that were specific for the ToM condition after controlling for global cognitive functioning (MMSE-score), visual attention (TMT B-score), fluid intelligence (RCPMT-score) and confrontation naming (BNT-score). In the bvFTD sample, the intention attribution tendency on the ToM-condition was associated with grey matter volume of a cluster in the cerebellum, spanning the right Crus I, Crus II, VIIIb, IX, left VIIb, IX and vermal IX and X. The results reveal a specific, primary, implicit domain-general ToM deficit in bvFTD that cannot be explained by cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, the findings point to a contribution of the cerebellum in the social-cognitive phenotype of bvFTD. Keywords: Theory of mind, Frontotemporal dementia, Neuroanatomy, Mentalizing |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T07:51:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a2d7b8026bd6485dbc9edb5c147ce886 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2213-1582 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T07:51:35Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage: Clinical |
| spelling | doaj.art-a2d7b8026bd6485dbc9edb5c147ce8862022-12-21T19:11:05ZengElsevierNeuroImage: Clinical2213-15822019-01-0122Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrityJan Van den Stock0François-Laurent De Winter1Daphne Stam2Laura Van de Vliet3Yun-An Huang4Eva Dries5Lies Van Assche6Louise Emsell7Filip Bouckaert8Mathieu Vandenbulcke9Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Brain and Emotion Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Corresponding author at: Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Herestraat 49, O&N2 bus 1027, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, BelgiumDepartment of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Translational MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumTheory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states to others. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by profound deficits in social cognition, including ToM. We investigate whether bvFTD affects intention attribution tendency while viewing abstract animations and whether this might represent a primary deficit. A sample of 15 bvFTD patients and 19 matched controls were assessed on cognition and performed an implicit ToM task. They were instructed to describe what they observed in movement patterns displayed by geometrical shapes (triangles). These movement patterns either represented animacy, goal-directed actions or manipulation of mental state (ToM). The responses were scored for both accuracy and intentionality attribution. Using Voxel-Based Morphometry, we investigated the structural neuroanatomy associated with intention attribution tendency. The behavioral results revealed deficits in the bvFTD group on intentionality attribution that were specific for the ToM condition after controlling for global cognitive functioning (MMSE-score), visual attention (TMT B-score), fluid intelligence (RCPMT-score) and confrontation naming (BNT-score). In the bvFTD sample, the intention attribution tendency on the ToM-condition was associated with grey matter volume of a cluster in the cerebellum, spanning the right Crus I, Crus II, VIIIb, IX, left VIIb, IX and vermal IX and X. The results reveal a specific, primary, implicit domain-general ToM deficit in bvFTD that cannot be explained by cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, the findings point to a contribution of the cerebellum in the social-cognitive phenotype of bvFTD. Keywords: Theory of mind, Frontotemporal dementia, Neuroanatomy, Mentalizinghttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158219301202 |
| spellingShingle | Jan Van den Stock François-Laurent De Winter Daphne Stam Laura Van de Vliet Yun-An Huang Eva Dries Lies Van Assche Louise Emsell Filip Bouckaert Mathieu Vandenbulcke Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity NeuroImage: Clinical |
| title | Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity |
| title_full | Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity |
| title_fullStr | Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity |
| title_short | Reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity |
| title_sort | reduced tendency to attribute mental states to abstract shapes in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia links with cerebellar structural integrity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158219301202 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT janvandenstock reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT francoislaurentdewinter reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT daphnestam reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT lauravandevliet reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT yunanhuang reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT evadries reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT liesvanassche reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT louiseemsell reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT filipbouckaert reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity AT mathieuvandenbulcke reducedtendencytoattributementalstatestoabstractshapesinbehavioralvariantfrontotemporaldementialinkswithcerebellarstructuralintegrity |