Social cognition in patients with acquired brain lesions: An overview on an under-reported problem.

Social cognition (SC) consists of mental representations of interpersonal relationships, which are used flexibly by the individual to promote functional social behaviors and achieve the goals. SC is a multidimensional construct and is supported by the activity of distributed neural networks in which different cortical and subcortical regions of the brain are involved. The review aims to evaluate the current literature on SC taking into account how it is compromised in acquired brain injury. Studies performed between 2010 and 2019 and fulfilling the selected criteria were searched on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane and Web of Sciences databases. Impairment of SC is a neglected but common consequence of ABI, often leading to disordered interpersonal functioning and poor regulation of personal behavior with impaired social adaptation and quality of life of both the patient and his/her family. This review supports the idea that SC could have an important role in the management of neurological patients by both clinicians and caregivers.

Effects of domotics on cognitive, social and personal functioning in patients with Parkinson's disease: A pilot study.

Home automation (HA) is either a "smart" house or a supportive environment, which enables the patients to regain an active role in daily life. HA could allow people affected by Parkinson Disease (PD) to better manage their daily lives. This study aims to evaluate the effects of domotics on quality of life, and personal/social autonomy in PD patients. We enrolled 40 with PD undergoing neurorehabilitation, who were randomized into either the control (CG) or the experimental group (EG). Two different rehabilitative approaches were used: the CG was submitted to a traditional training, whilst the EG underwent HA training, in which the activities were carried out through the use of assistive technologies. In both the training, the exercises were performed in small samples of 3-5 patients. Results showed that both CG and EG had a significant improvement in global cognitive functioning, executive functions, and instrumental autonomy. However, only in the EG, we observed a significant increase in social adaptation, activities of daily living and quality of life. This pilot study suggests that HA training could be a useful tool for the rehabilitation of patients with PD, improving social and cognitive functioning, personal autonomy and quality of life.