1. Pediatric Stroke Impairs Theory of Mind Performance
- Author
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JoEllen Lee, Melissa Chung, Warren D. Lo, Ji Wang, Keith Owen Yeates, Xiangrui Li, Kelly A. McNally, Zhong-Lin Lu, and Kristen R. Hoskinson
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Theory of Mind ,Pilot Projects ,Neuropsychological Tests ,050105 experimental psychology ,Task (project management) ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,Theory of mind ,medicine ,Humans ,Pediatric stroke ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Child ,Stroke ,Brain Mapping ,Resting state fMRI ,05 social sciences ,Brain ,Cognition ,Childhood stroke ,medicine.disease ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Case-Control Studies ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Female ,Neurology (clinical) ,Psychology ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Aim: This pilot study explored whether childhood stroke impairs performance on theory of mind (ToM) tasks and whether ToM task performance correlates with resting state connectivity in brain regions linked with social cognition. Method: We performed a case-control study of 10 children with stroke and 10 age- and gender-matched controls. They completed 2 ToM tasks, and resting state connectivity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: Children with stroke performed worse than controls on conative ToM tasks. Resting state connectivity in the central executive network was significantly higher and connectivity between right and left inferior parietal lobules was significantly decreased in children with stroke. Resting state activity and ToM performance were not significantly correlated. Interpretation: Childhood stroke results in poorer performance on specific ToM tasks. Stroke is associated with changes in resting state connectivity in networks linked with social cognition including ToM. Although the basis for these changes in connectivity is not well understood, these results may provide preliminary insights into potential mechanisms affecting social cognition after stroke. The findings suggest that further study of the effect of childhood stroke on network connectivity may yield insights as to how stroke affects cognitive functions in children.
- Published
- 2019