Social cognition is a multifaceted complex domain resulting from different cognitive sub-functions involved in interpreting information acquired from the social environment and in modulating the way of thinking and acting according to social situations. The processing of social signals, and the subsequent adaptation of behavioural responses, relies on the activation of complex networks involving frontal and temporo-limbic regions that can be significantly affected in neurodegenerative diseases such as the frontotemporal dementia. Cognitive tests represent gateway markers in the diagnostic framework of dementia, thus the objective quantification of socio-affective deficits with ad hoc developed social cognition tasks represents a critical component in clinical and research settings. In this talk I address the issue of the development of evidence-based neuropsychological tests for the assessment of social cognitive abilities, that will be discussed through empirical studies and clinical cases.
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