Cognitive Factors Underlying Social Communication Performance of Adults with TBI

描述(由申请人提供)：患有创伤性脑损伤的成年人社会沟通的认知因素每年约有125,000名美国人患有创伤性脑损伤(TBI)，预计他们将终身残疾[2]。中的 与中到重度脑创伤相关的各种影响，社会后果是最具惩罚性的，可能包括失去友谊和社会孤立[3]。研究表明，社会沟通问题对这些负面的社会后果有很大影响[4]，因此是重要的康复目标。尽管社会沟通障碍造成了严重后果，但人们对这些缺陷的潜在机制仍然知之甚少。研究已经将患有脑外伤的成年人的社交障碍与两个认知过程联系起来：心理理论(TOM)和执行功能(EF)[6-9]。尽管有证据表明这些过程之间可能存在关联，但目前尚不清楚这些关系本质上是相关的还是因果的。这项拟议的研究将以三个具体目标调查成人脑外伤患者社交沟通问题的潜在认知机制和社会后果。本研究的第一个目的是探讨心理理论需求对成人脑外伤患者社交行为的影响。据预测，与对照参与者(CP)相比，患有TBI的成年人使用反映心理理论的词汇(即心理状态术语)的频率将无法从低心理理论话语条件提高到高心理理论话语条件。本研究的第二个目的是调查英孚需求对成人脑外伤患者社交行为的影响。本研究假设，与低EF条件下相比，在高EF条件下，TBI患者犯社交错误的频率会更高。预计EF需求将对患有脑外伤的成年人产生明显更大的影响。这项研究的第三个目的是确定成人脑外伤患者的社交问题与天真的评分者如何评判他们的话语之间的关系。据预测，心理状态术语从低TOM状态到高TOM状态的增加程度将与天真评分者的判断正相关，而社交错误频率从低EF状态到高EF状态的变化将与天真评分者对社会可接受性和适当性的判断呈负相关。这项拟议的研究将提供有关成人脑外伤患者社会沟通障碍的潜在认知机制以及这些障碍的现实后果的重要信息。这项研究的发现有很大的潜力为未来脑外伤成人社交沟通障碍的治疗提供参考。 公共卫生相关性：在中到重度创伤性脑损伤(TBI)之后，个人经常经历许多负面的社会后果，这些结果与社交沟通不良有关。这项拟议的研究将调查认知加工需求如何影响成人脑外伤患者的社会沟通，长期目标是利用这些获得的知识来指导更有效地治疗成人脑外伤患者的社交障碍。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cognitive Factors Underlying Social Communication of Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury Each year approximately 125,000 Americans will sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from which they are expected to suffer lifelong disability [2]. Of the myriad effects associated with moderate-to-severe TBI, social outcomes are among the most penalizing and can include the loss of friendships and social isolation [3]. Research has shown that social communication problems contribute significantly to these negative social outcomes [4] and are therefore important rehabilitation targets [5]. Despite the severe consequences of social communication impairments, the underlying mechanisms of these deficits remain poorly understood. Research has linked social communication impairments in adults with TBI to two cognitive processes that are frequently impaired in this population: theory of mind (ToM) and executive functioning (EF) [6-9]. Despite evidence of a likely association between these processes, it is unclear whether these relationships are correlational or causal in nature. The proposed study will investigate both the underlying cognitive mechanisms and social consequences of social communication problems for adults with TBI with three specific aims. The first aim of the proposed study is to investigate the effect of ToM demand on social communication performance of adults with TBI. It is predicted that adults with TBI will fail to increase the frequency with which they use words that reflect ToM (i.e. mental state terms) from a low-ToM discourse condition to a high-ToM discourse condition relative to comparison participants (CPs). The second aim of the proposed research is to investigate the effect of EF demand on social communication performance of adults with TBI. It is hypothesized that the frequency of social communication errors committed by adults with TBI will be greater in a high-EF condition relative to in a low-EF condition. EF demand is expected to have a significantly greater effect for adults with TBI. The third aim of the proposed study is to determine the relationship between social communication problems in adults with TBI and how their discourse is judged by naive raters. It is predicted that the degree of increase in mental state terms from the low- to high-ToM condition will be positively associated with naive raters' judgments while it is expected that the change in frequency of social communication errors from the low- to high-EF condition will be inversely associated with naive raters' judgments of social acceptability and appropriateness in adults with TBI. The proposed research will provide important information regarding the underlying cognitive mechanisms of social communication impairments of adults with TBI as well as the real-world consequences of these impairments. Findings of this study have a strong potential to inform future treatment of social communication impairments in adults with TBI. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) individuals frequently experience many negative social outcomes that have been associated with poor social communication. The proposed research will investigate how cognitive processing demands affect social communication in adults with TBI with the long-term goal of using this gained knowledge to help direct the development of more effective treatments for social communication impairments of adults with TBI.