Social Cognition and Executive Functioning following a Brain Injury
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social Cognition and Executive Functioning following an Acquired Brain Injury.
IRAS ID
242527
Contact name
Tasmeah Zain
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Humber NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
The number of people who are surviving following an acquired brain injury is increasing therefore it is becoming ever more important to understand the underlying impact that the brain injury may cause. People who have suffered from an acquired brain injury often make decisions that are disadvantageous. Patients often decide against their best interests and fail to learn from previous mistakes. It is important to be able to understand which underlying domains decision making is related to; social cognition, executive functioning or both. Being able to understand if this is due to social cognition or executive functioning will lead to a greater understanding of social cognitive impairments which may therefore provide opportunities for targeted recovery focussed interventions.
In the proposed study, participants will be asked to complete the Ultimatum Game. This is a game in which two players are given the opportunity to split a sum of money. One player is the proposer and the other is a responder. The proposer is just a stooge. The proposer makes an offer as to how the money should be split between the two. The responder can accept or reject the offer. If it is accepted, then the money is split as proposed and if it is rejected then neither play gets anything. It will be investigated whether responses to this game differ between controls and participants with an acquired brain injury. This game is being used to measure social decision making. Following this, participants will be asked to complete part of the Delis Kaplan Executive Function Test (measure of executive function) and the Reading the Minds in Eyes (measure of social cognition). The scores on the executive function and social cognition test will be correlated for the acquired brain injury group only. This will be done to see if there exists a stronger relationship with one over the other and whether this correlates with decision making scores from the Ultimatum Game.REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NE/0190
Date of REC Opinion
7 Aug 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion