Mental simulation in frontotemporal dementia

Abstract

There is a common network for perception and execution of actions necessary for the acquisition of Theory of Mind, and the mirror neuron system could be the neural substrate. Objective: To study the presence of apraxia and their relationship to Theory of Mind in patients with behavioral variant of Frontotemporal Dementia. Methods: 24 patients were assessed, and the cognitive praxis assessment battery and theory of mind were administered. Results: All the tasks of the cognitive praxis assessment battery showed a significant correlation with the first order False Believe task, while Faces Test showed correlations with all the battery tasks except Auditory verbal income. Significant correlations were also found between Reading the Mind in the Eyes and Income of visual objects and Imitation of familiar gestures, and between Faux Pas and Use of tools, Gestural decision and Naming by function. Discussion: These findings reinforce the hypothesis that the processes of Theory of Mind are based, according to mental simulation theory, in a matching execution/observation of actions system, whose neural substrate may correspond to the mirror neuron system.