Social and Moral Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis

Status: Recruiting
Location: See all (2) locations...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive disease that affects young adults (aged between 20 and 40) and has a major impact on patients' quality of life. Cognitive disorders in MS are common, affecting 40-60% of patients. Among these disorders, the presence of social cognition disorders is common. Within social cognition, the moral judgment has been an object of research in order to understand the determinants of moral decision-making: how and why individuals make moral choices with regard to a set of prescriptions and social norms. Compared to control subjects, MS patients show a decrease in moral permissiveness, as well as an increase in moral relativity and emotional reactivity. Thus, it would seem that MS patients issue more deontological choices (lower moral permissiveness). Given that these patients also exhibit empathy deficits and higher alexithymia, these patterns are surprising. Indeed, in other clinical populations, low empathic abilities and high alexithymia are linked to utilitarian rather than deontological moral judgments. The objective of this project is to analyze the process of decision-making carried out by patients during moral dilemma situations in comparison with control individuals and verify whether the presence of a positivity bias could explain the more deontological choices made by some patients. Indeed, some work has shown that older individuals make more deontological moral judgments than younger adults. These results are also observed with young individuals when their future temporal perspectives have been experimentally constrained.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 55
Healthy Volunteers: t
View:

• Men or women aged 18 to 55.

• Understanding and able to express themselves in French.

• Characteristics according to groups:

• MS patient group:

‣ relapsing-remitting form (RRMS)

⁃ with EDSS ≤ 4

⁃ with no significant motor, cerebellar or somesthesic disorders of the upper limbs or visual disorders (specific EDSS parameter ≤ 2)

⁃ absence of relapse in the last 6 weeks

• Control groups:

‣ absence of known global cognitive deterioration.

• Understanding and signing of the informed consent and information letter concerning participation in the study.

• Beneficiary of health insurance coverage.

Locations
Other Locations
France
Hôpital Saint-Vincent-de-Paul - Neurologie
RECRUITING
Lille
Hôpital Saint-Philibert - Neurologie
RECRUITING
Lomme
Contact Information
Primary
Marie Paule LEBITASY
Lebitasy.Marie-Paule@ghicl.net
03.20.22.57.41
Backup
Audrey TOIA
toia.audrey@ghicl.net
03.20.22.57.33
Time Frame
Start Date: 2023-12-19
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-10-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 90
Treatments
Other: Multiple sclerosis patients
MS patients with the relapsing-remitting form (RRMS) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≤ 4
Other: Control participants
Patients without global cognitive impairment
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: Lille Catholic University

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov