Social cognition in degenerative cerebellar ataxias

Social cognition (SC) refers to a set of skills necessary for successful social communication and interpersonal relationships. Accumulating evidence points toward a crucial role of the cerebellum in SC. This narrative review summarizes and discusses the social cognitive impairment in cerebellar ataxias (CA), a group of hereditary neurodegenerative diseases of the cerebellum. Substantial impairment in emotion recognition and theory of mind, two essential components of SC, is present in CA. The social cognitive impairment is largely independent of the motor disability, general cognitive deficit, or neuropsychiatric symptoms. Since the impairment reaches comparable levels to autism or schizophrenia, it can substantially impact patients' quality of life and deserves further attention in future research.

Automated summary

Social cognition plays a crucial role in successful social communication and interpersonal relationships, and the cerebellum is important in social cognition. Individuals with cerebellar ataxias commonly exhibit significant impairments in emotion recognition and theory of mind, independent of motor disability, general cognitive deficits, or neuropsychiatric symptoms. The severity of these social cognitive impairments can be comparable to autism or schizophrenia, highlighting the importance of further research in this area.