Social Cognition deficits in SpinoCerebellar Ataxia: A neuropsychological and neuroimaging study – SoCoSCA

Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a group of autosomal dominantly inherited disorders that are the consequences of the degeneration of the cerebellum and cerebellar connections. These brain lesions are hypothesized to affect not only the sensorimotor functions but also socio-cognitive abilities. The goals of this project are 1) to characterize the socio-cognitive patterns of patients with autosomal dominant SCAs, 2) to characterize the structural and functional abnormalities in cerebellar subregions as well as cerebello-cerebrar connections and test how these abnormalities can be associated with these socio-cognitive patterns, 3) to compare these neuroanatomical and socio-cognitive patterns to socio-behavioral regulation. The SoCoSCA project may contribute to a better understanding of the neuroanatomical basis of social alterations of SCA patients and has the potential to provide recommendations for a more appropriate neuropsychological screening and care.