DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE OF STUDY:

The purpose of the study is to better understand how people in certain situations arrive at judgments about another person’s thoughts, feelings, and intentions. What does this mean? For example, when we see someone smiling at us most of us would assume that this person likes us. However, we might also suppose that the person merely wishes to be polite. But what factors determine our judgments about what goes on in another person’s mind? The field of study concerned with these judgments is called “social cognition”. Since we use these judgments about other people’s inner worlds not only to understand but also to predict their behavior, social cognition is key for successful social interactions. As with every other ability of the mind, social cognition varies in different people. Patients with Asperger’s syndrome often have problems in understanding the feelings and intentions of other people whereas professionals working as psychotherapists are thought to have superior skills in understanding other people’s minds. Studies concerned with the way these individuals arrive at judgments about other people’s inner worlds provide a way of exploring how social cognition is accomplished.

This study will compare performance on a new video based social cognition test that was developed at NYU in the following groups of people: individuals who have Asperger’s syndrome and who are known to have problems in understanding other people’s minds, people with no problems in social cognition, and psychotherapists, who are thought to be superior in understanding other’s thoughts and feelings. We developed the video-test to reveal even subtle difficulties in social cognition in all stated groups and to allow us to look separately at different processes that underlie social cognition (e.g. recognition of facial expressions, tone of voice, non-literal speech), features which existing tests do not satisfy. In our opinion it is only through an exact analysis of how social cognition is accomplished that effective therapeutic interventions will be developed. In addition to looking at performance on the video-test, we are also interested in looking at the brain processes that underlie social cognition and Asperger’s syndrome. In an attempt to elucidate them you will be asked to undergo an MRI scan of your brain and to have your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) measured by you providing a sample of your urine. We assume that there are relationships between the structure of the brain, the hormone cortisol, social cognition, and Asperger’s syndrome and we hope that the information yielded by this study will contribute to the development of more sensitive tools to detect and treat even mild abnormalities in social cognition.

THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES WILL BE INVOLVED:

During your visit at the Center for Brain Health, you will receive a brain scan (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This is a standard clinical evaluation and the time that you are going to spend in the machine will be approximately 25 - 30 minutes. You will also receive a laboratory analyses of blood and urine. For the blood test, a total of 30cc (6 teaspoons) of blood will be drawn from a vein in your arm. For the cortisol measurement in urine you will be sent a container to collect your urine on the day before you come to the Center for Brain Health, at the NYU School of Medicine. During the visit, we will give you a short interview and some questionnaires to ensure that you do not have other conditions such as depression, which could affect your performance on the research tests. We will then give you the social cognition video-test as well as two other tests to assess your judgment about other people’s inner worlds. You will also receive pencil-and-paper tests that measure memory-, attention-, and general intellectual functioning.

TIME COSTS, POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO YOU, AND COMPENSATION:

Your participation will involve one visit here at the NYU School of Medicine, which will take approximately 5 - 6 hours. There may be direct benefit for some participants. The short screening and diagnostic evaluation (including MRI, complete blood analysis, and urinalysis) is of general value since previously unknown problems may be detected. It is hoped that the knowledge gained with your help will be of benefit to others in the future. It could in particular contribute to develop new tools to assess-, and therapeutic interventions (e.g. socio-therapeutic therapy) to treat subtle impairments in social cognition. You will be compensated for your time and inconvenience with $ 100.

If you are 18 to 60 years of age, have a diagnosis Asperger’s syndrome, and are interested in participating in our research study please call our coordinator Catherine Cianci at 212 263-7563. If you have questions and want to talk to me, Isabel Dziobek , personally, call me directly at 212 263-3478 or e-mail to: dziobi01@popmail.med.nyu.edu I would be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Isabel Dziobek, M.A.
Department of Psychiatry
New York University School of Medicine
Center for Brain Health
560 First Avenue, Suite HN 400, New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (212) 263-3478
dziobi01@popmail.med.nyu.edu

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