fMRI of Theory of Mind in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Overview

Theory of mind (TOM), a main component of social cognition processes, refers to the capacity to infer one's own and other person's mental states. Deficits in social cognition are found in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The purpose of this study is to compare the neurofunctional profiles of schizophrenic patients, bipolar patients and healthy participants during the performance of a TOM task. Results may help to understand the neural bases of the impairments in social cognition in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which may in turn help to propose potential new psychosocial therapeutic approaches in these disorders.

Theory of mind (TOM) refer to the cognitive ability to attribute mental states to others, which plays an essential role in social communications and interactions between individuals. In several recent papers, it was shown that TOM is impaired in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This impairment strongly affects the quality of life in patients suffering from these disorders. The investigators study aims to explore the neural correlates of TOM in schizophrenic and bipolar patients, in comparison with those of healthy participants. These studies will be conducted on 30 schizophrenic patients, 30 bipolar patients, and 60 healthy participants, matched on age and educational level to each patient group. The investigators expect that the study of combined behavioral (neuropsychological tests) and neuro-anatomical data will allow to understand the pathophysiology of the alteration of social cognition processes in these illnesses.

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Eligibility

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Central Contacts