Social Cognition in patients with Non Epileptic Attack Disorder
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social Cognition in patients with Non Epileptic Attack Disorder. A study of recogntion of facial emotion, trustworthinesss and dominence in patients with Non Epileptic Attack Disorder ( NEAD) (also known as Psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizures PNES).
IRAS ID
186207
Contact name
Kathleen White
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
The neuroanatomy underlying NEAD is largely unknown, and only recent evidence points to the involvement of the limbic system (a brain network concerned with the processing of emotions) in this disorder. Our study wants to explore the involvement of these structures in the pathology of NEAD further. For this, we have identified in previous research on Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as Major Depressive disorder a set of neuropsychological tests looking at emotion, trustworthiness and dominance recognition, which are sensitive to dysfunction in the limbic system, namely the amygdala and the insula cortex. These tests will be administered to the study participants. In addition, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a short neuropsychological battery of computerized and paper pencil background tests will also be given as control tasks, to establish that potential impairments on the emotion tasks are not due to cognitive deficits or general deficits in face perception. We expect participants with NEAD to perform worse then controls on these tasks if the insula cortex and the amygdala are involved in the pathology of NEAD.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0315
Date of REC Opinion
15 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion