Lesions in the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex and their Impact on Social Cognition

Abstract

Aims: To identify the impact of ventromedial prefrontal cortex injury (vmPFC) on social cognition (SC) processes in a stroke patient in relation to a control group matched by age, gender and schooling. Possible associations between post-injury behavior and impacted neuropsychological attributes of emotion recognition, Theory of Mind (ToM), and empathy are discussed. Method: A patient with stroke in right vmPFC and 10 healthy participants completed different screening, neuropsychological assessment and SC tests. Results: Correlations were found between damage in vmPFC and alterations in affective ToM, working and retrograde memory, mood and relational alterations in the patient. Discrepancies were found with respect to other studies in relation to the laterality of the injury and the impact of cognitive and affective empathy which seems to be relatively intact. Conclusions: There is a need to clarify the role of affective ToM after acquired brain injury (ABI) in vmPFC. A protocol is needed to assess and intervene in aspects of ToM that would involve documenting strengths and deficits of ToM: inter and intrapersonal after an ABI. Similarly, there is a need to address the lateralization of different domains of function in vmPFC and their relationship to affective ToM.   How to cite: Sánchez Tombe, J. R. (2022). Lesions In The Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex And Their Impact On Social Cognition. Revista Colombiana de  Psicología,31(2), 11-26. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v31n2.88206