Social Cognition in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Charcot disease, is a neurodegenerative disease evidenced by gradual paralysis of the muscles involved in voluntary motor function. The clinical hallmark of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is the combination of upper and lower motor neuron signs and symptoms. The most recent studies suggest that up to 50% of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients demonstrate mild to moderate cognitive disturbance. Impaired social cognition, including a deficit in the recognition of facial emotions and the identification of vocal prosody, is recognized as a part of the cognitive phenotype of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, with crucial implications for patients' and caregivers' training. However, studies remain scarce and the data acquired must be supported. The evolution of these manifestations during the disease is still poorly understood. In this study the investigators aim to assess the social cognition capacities of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis compared to healthy matched control subjects.