Social influence on associative learning: double dissociation in high-functioning autism, early-stage behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
BACKGROUND
Most of our learning activity takes place in a social context. I examined how social interactions influence associative learning in neurodegenerative diseases and atypical neurodevelopmental conditions primarily characterised by social cognitive and memory dysfunctions.


METHODS
Participants were individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA, n = 18), early-stage behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD, n = 16) and Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 20). The leading symptoms in HFA and bvFTD were social and behavioural dysfunctions, whereas AD was characterised by memory deficits. Participants received three versions of a paired associates learning task. In the game with boxes test, objects were hidden in six candy boxes placed in different locations on the computer screen. In the game with faces, each box was labelled by a photo of a person. In the real-life version of the game, participants played with real persons.


RESULTS
Individuals with HFA and bvFTD performed well in the computer games, but failed on the task including real persons. In contrast, in patients with early-stage AD, social interactions boosted paired associates learning up to the level of healthy control volunteers. Worse performance in the real life game was associated with less successful recognition of complex emotions and mental states in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. Spatial span did not affect the results.


CONCLUSIONS
When social cognition is impaired, but memory systems are less compromised (HFA and bvFTD), real-life interactions disrupt associative learning; when disease process impairs memory systems but social cognition is relatively intact (early-stage AD), social interactions have a beneficial effect on learning and memory.
University of Szeged, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Szeged, Hungary; Nyírő Gyula Hospital - National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary; Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: keri.szabolcs.gyula@med.u-szeged.hu.
Szabolcs
S
Kéri
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D057180:Frontotemporal Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
Alzheimer's disease; Autism; Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia; Paired associates learning; Social cognition; Theory of Mind