Insight and social cognition in neurodegenerative diseases
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Insight and social cognition across the spectrum of frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
IRAS ID
224529
Contact name
Carlos Munoz Neira
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Insight and social cognition are higher level cognitive functions present in all normal human beings. Lack of insight and impaired social cognition are critical symptoms in different neurodegenerative conditions. More precisely, these disorders are particularly prominent in neurodegenerative dementias with a frontotemporal involvement such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). It is known that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) shares similar cognitive and behavioural symptoms with FTD. Studying lack of insight and impaired social cognition will help us understand the origins of these diseases and also enable the development of novel tools for a more reliable early diagnosis. The main objective of this study is to explore how failures of insight and social cognition relate to wider cognitive decline and dementia across those syndromes resulting from frontotemporal neurodegeneration such as FTD and ALS. Patients and healthy age-matched controls will be assessed with tests of insight and social thinking. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans will be also obtained. We will investigate links between changes to different brain regions and insight and social behaviour.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0966
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion