Characterization of Social Cognition Profiles in Children and Adolescents With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: a Clinical Study Using a Multidimensional Battery

Characterization of Social Cognition Profiles in Children and Adolescents With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: a Clinical Study Using a Multidimensional Battery

In France, more than one in ten school-aged children suffers from a mental health disorder, and half of these disorders appear before the age of 14. Yet, only half of affected children receive appropriate support. At the cognitive level, it is now widely accepted by the scientific community that strong socio-cognitive skills protect against the emergence of certain disorders. Social cognition skills, crucial for development and social integration, are often underestimated in clinical neuropsychology, particularly due to the lack of validated assessment tools for children.

The challenges related to the clinical assessment of social cognition in children and adolescents are therefore significant, especially since specific deficits are likely to be associated with numerous developmental pathologies and psychiatric disorders (neurodevelopmental disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders). However, these disorders are insufficiently assessed. A more precise characterization would allow for the identification of therapeutic targets specific to each neurodevelopmental disorder.

Therefore, this research aims to address this lack of tools by using a multidimensional assessment battery of social cognition in children and adolescents aged 8 to 16, evaluating four fundamental domains of social cognition: emotion processing, social perception, theory of mind, and attributional style. This multidimensional assessment battery of social cognition is developed by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital.

In France, more than one in ten school-aged children suffers from a mental health disorder, and half of these disorders appear before the age of 14. Yet, only half of affected children receive appropriate support. At the cognitive level, it is now widely accepted by the scientific community that strong socio-cognitive skills protect against the emergence of certain disorders. Social cognition skills, crucial for development and social integration, are often underestimated in clinical neuropsychology, particularly due to the lack of validated assessment tools for children.

The challenges related to the clinical assessment of social cognition in children and adolescents are therefore significant, especially since specific deficits are likely to be associated with numerous developmental pathologies and psychiatric disorders (neurodevelopmental disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders). However, these disorders are insufficiently assessed. A more precise characterization would allow for the identification of therapeutic targets specific to each neurodevelopmental disorder.

Therefore, this research aims to address this lack of tools by using a multidimensional assessment battery of social cognition in children and adolescents aged 8 to 16, evaluating four fundamental domains of social cognition: emotion processing, social perception, theory of mind, and attributional style. This multidimensional assessment battery of social cognition is developed by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital.

Patients will be recruited from the child psychiatry department of Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital as part of a diagnostic or follow-up process. A consultation will be offered to participate in the research, during which participants will complete the COGSO battery as well as additional tasks assessing social cognition and executive functions, and parent questionnaires.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 years
• Proficiency in French (native language)
• Information and consent obtained from those holding parental authority, and agreement from the child or adolescent
• No recently modified (<6 weeks) psychotropic medication from the following categories: antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, psychostimulants, mood stabilizers.
• IQ above 70 (WISC-V)
• Criteria for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (according to DSM-5)
• Multiple complex developmental disorder : Symptoms characteristic of a neurodevelopmental disorder without meeting all the criteria for a specific disorder and presence of multiple complex developmental disorder criteria with at least 5 elements from the specified categories.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Having an active neurological disorder (e.g., active epilepsy)