Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38982586›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuropsychology2025

Cognitive and affective theory of mind in young and elderly patients with multiple sclerosis.

Maxime Montembeault, Romane Farley, Julie Ouellet, Estefania Brando, Alexandra Tremblay, Kim Charest, Élaine Roger, Peter Scherzer, Pierre Duquette, Isabelle Rouleau

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuropsychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Maxime MontembeaultDouglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9369-0498
Romane FarleyPsychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Julie OuelletInstitut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal, CIUSS du Centre-Sud, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Estefania BrandoPsychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Alexandra TremblayPsychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Kim CharestPsychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Élaine RogerCentre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Peter ScherzerPsychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Pierre DuquetteCentre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Isabelle RouleauPsychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Theory of mind (ToM) deficits have been reported in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, most studies have used pictures or written scenarios as stimuli without distinguishing between cognitive and affective ToM, and no studies have investigated older pwMS. We recruited 13 young healthy controls (HC), 14 young pwMS, 14 elderly HC and 15 elderly pwMS. ToM was measured using an adaptation of the Conversations and Insinuations task (Ouellet et al., J. Int. Neuropsychol. Soc., 16, 2010, 287). In this ecological video-based task, participants watch four 2-minute videos of social interactions, which are interrupted by multiple choice questions about either the emotional state (affective ToM) or the intention (cognitive ToM) of the characters. They also underwent a short neuropsychological battery including cognitive, executive and social cognition tasks and questionnaires. We observed a significant interaction between the ToM conditions and the groups regarding ToM performance. Elderly pwMS scored significantly lower than elderly HC and young pwMS in cognitive ToM, but not in affective ToM. They also showed the largest discrepancy between their cognitive and affective ToM. Young pwMS showed relatively preserved ToM in both conditions. Both cognitive and affective ToM correlated with global cognition and executive abilities, but not with social cognitive measures (emotion recognition, real-life empathy). This study suggests that decline in cognitive ToM might be accentuated by advancing age in pwMS. These impairments are most likely underlied by cognitive and executive difficulties, but not by core social cognitive impairments. Future studies should investigate the real-life impacts of ToM impairments in pwMS.

Indexed as

AffectAgingCognitionCognition DisordersMultiple SclerosisTheory of MindAdultAgedExecutive FunctionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsSocial CognitionYoung Adultageingmultiple sclerosissocial cognitiontheory of mind

Identifiers

PMID38982586
PMCPMC11891381

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.