Journal

The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

[Vol.31 No.4 contents]
Japanese/English

Full Text of this Article
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ArticleTitle Social cognitive impairment related to epilepsy
Language J
AuthorList Mitsuhiko Yamano
Affiliation Department of Neurology, Tokai University School of Medicine
Publication Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 31 (4), 254-261, 2015
Received
Accepted
Abstract Research on cognitive function related to temporal lobe epilepsy has far focused on memory, language, and general intelligence. Recently however, the concept of social cognition has been proposed in the field of neuropsychology. Social cognition refers collectively to the higher cognitive functions that are essential in our social lives, and its representative aspects are facial emotion recognition and decision-making. Findings of research on neural mechanisms underlying social cognitions have emphasized the roles of the cerebral limbic system, such as the amygdalo-hippocampal complexes, and the emotional system in the ventromedial prefrontal area. Early-onset right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy is the key substrate determining a severe deficit in recognizing facial emotion recognition and decision-making. In the future, neuropsychological examinations of social cognition will contribute to the provision of comprehensive medical care to patients with epilepsy.
Keywords epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy, social cognitive impairment, facial emotion recognition, decision-making

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