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Yayın An investigation of affective theory of mind ability and its relation to neuropsychological functions in Alzheimer's disease(John Wiley and Sons Ltd., 2020-09) Yıldırım, Elif; Soncu Büyükişcan, Ezgi; Demirtaş Tatlıdede, Aslı; Bilgiç, Başar; Gürvit, İbrahim HakanAlthough cognitive theory of mind (ToM) has been largely studied within neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), studies focusing on affective ToM are relatively limited, yielding inconsistent findings. The current study aimed at investigating affective ToM abilities within different stages of AD (mild AD dementia [ADD], mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and subjective cognitive impairment [SCI]), together with its relationship with neuropsychological functioning. Eighty-one participants were tested with two different ToM tasks (Faux Pas Recognition Test [FPR] and Reading Mind in the Eyes Test [RMET]) and tests of attention, executive functions, episodic memory, and facial recognition. Our results showed two different affective ToM profiles in AD continuum: while ADD group performed poorly on both tasks of ToM, MCI group displayed deteriorated performance on RMET but not on FPR. In addition, ToM performance was significantly related to episodic memory and verbal fluency within the overall sample. These findings suggest that impairment in the decoding process of emotional cues could begin even in the prodromal stage of AD. In contrast, the reasoning process of emotional information, as measured with FPR, could be preserved until the dementia stage. Moreover, the relation of affective ToM with amnestic functions and verbal abilities could provide evidence of a domain-general ToM impairment in AD.Yayın An investigation of affective personality traits in Alzheimer’s disease: seeking as a possible predictor for early-stage Alzheimer’s dementia(Routledge, 2023-09) Soncu Büyükişcan, Ezgi; Yıldırım, Elif; Demirtaş Tatlıdede, Aslı; Bilgiç, Başar; Gürvit, HakanObjective: The aim of the current study was to investigate affective personality traits in Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition mainly characterized by episodic memory impairment. Method: The sample included 69 participants from 3 diagnostic categories. Twenty-five participants were diagnosed with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), 26 participants were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment of the amnestic type (aMCI), and the remaining 18 participants were diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s dementia (ADD). Diagnostic labels were given as a result of detailed neurological, neuropsychological, and neuroradiological assessment. Affective personality traits were assessed via Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS). Results: The only significant intergroup difference was obtained for the SEEKING subscale of ANPS. Here, ADD group scored significantly lower compared to the SCI group. The results of logistic regression analysis also indicated that SEEKING score successfully predicted early-stage ADD diagnosis. Conclusion: The results suggest that a specific personality constellation characterized by reduced investment in the outside world might be associated with Alzheimer’s disease, either as a risk factor or a byproduct of the neurodegenerative process initiated by AD pathology.Yayın White-matter changes in early and late stages of mild cognitive impairment(Churchill Livingstone, 2020-08) Femir Gürtuna, Banu; Kurt, Elif; Ulaşoğlu Yıldız, Çiğdem; Bayram, Ali; Yıldırım, Elif; Soncu Büyükişcan, Ezgi; Bilgiç, BaşarMild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is characterized by cognitive deficits that exceed age-related decline, but not interfering with daily living activities. Amnestic type of the disorder (aMCI) is known to have a high risk to progress to Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the most common type of dementia. Identification of very early structural changes in the brain related to the cognitive decline in MCI patients would further contribute to the understanding of the dementias. In the current study, we target to investigate whether the white-matter changes are related to structural changes, as well as the cognitive performance of MCI patients. Forty-nine MCI patients were classified as Early MCI (E-MCI, n = 24) and Late MCI (L-MCI, n = 25) due to their performance on The Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT). Age-Related White-Matter Changes (ARWMC) scale was used to evaluate the white-matter changes in the brain. Volumes of specific brain regions were calculated with the FreeSurfer program. Both group and correlation analyses were conducted to show if there was any association between white-matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and structural changes and cognitive performance. Our results indicate that, L-MCI patients had significantly more WMHs not in all but only in the frontal regions compared to E-MCI patients. Besides, ARWMC scores were not correlated with total hippocampal and white-matter volumes. It can be concluded that WMHs play an important role in MCI and cognitive functions are affected by white-matter changes of MCI patients, especially in the frontal regions.Yayın Affective theory of mind in human aging: is there any relation with executive functioning?(Routledge, 2019-04) Yıldırım, Elif; Soncu Büyükişcan, Ezgi; Gürvit, İbrahim HakanTheory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to make inferences on other’s mental or emotional states. Although there is evidence suggesting that impaired executive functions due to aging could have a negative impact on cognitive ToM, there is still controversy about the effect of age and age-related executive dysfunctions on affective ToM. To investigate affective ToM in healthy aging and its relationship with executive functions, we examined Reading Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) performance and executive functions among young and older adults. There was no significant difference between age groups regarding their RMET scores. While affective ToM was correlated to executive functioning within the younger group, short term memory was found to be associated with RMET performance among older participants. Furthermore, within the older group, women performed better than men. Our findings suggest a preserved ability of affective ToM in healthy aging, which appears to be independent of executive functioning.Yayın The effect of psychotic proneness and psychopathy on theory of mind(Wiley, 2024-02) Atakan, Begüm; Yıldırım, ElifThis study aimed to investigate the interaction between positive psychotic experiences and psychopathic traits on the theory of mind in a non-clinical sample. The results showed that distinct constructs of psychopathy can lead to distinct theory of mind profiles when interacting with psychotic proneness.Yayın Elevated sTREM2 and NFL levels in patients with sepsis associated encephalopathy(Taylor & Francis, 2023-03-04) Orhun, Günseli; Esen, Figen; Yılmaz, Vuslat; Ulusoy, Canan; Şanlı, Elif; Yıldırım, Elif; Gürvit, İbrahim Hakan; Ergin Özcan, Perihan; Sencer, Serra; Bebek, Nerses; Tüzün, ErdemPurpose: Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a common manifestation of sepsis that may lead to cognitive decline. Our aim was to investigate whether the neurofilament light chain (NFL) and soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) could be utilized as prognostic biomarkers in SAE. Materials and methods: In this prospective observational study, baseline serum levels of sTREM2 and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of sTREM2 and NFL were measured by ELISA in 11 SAE patients and controls. Patients underwent daily neurological examination. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and standard electroencephalography (EEG) were performed. Cognitive dysfunction was longitudinally assessed after discharge in 4 SAE patients using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) tests. Results: SAE patients showed higher CSF sTREM2 and NFL levels than controls. sTREM2 and NFL levels were not correlated with the severity measures of sepsis. Three months after discharge, 2 SAE patients displayed ACE-R scores congruent with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), persisting in one patient 12 months after discharge. SAE patients with MCI showed higher CSF NFL levels, bacteremia, and abnormal brain MRI. Patients with increased serum/CSF sTREM2 levels showed trends towards displaying poorer attention/orientation and visuo-spatial skills. Conclusions: sTREM2 and NFL levels may serve as a prognostic biomarker for cognitive decline in SAE. These results lend further support for the involvement of glial activation and neuroaxonal degeneration in the physiopathology of SAE.Yayın Cognitive reserve and aging: impacts on theory of mind and executive functions(Routledge, 2025-03) Şandor, Serra; Hıdıroğlu Ongun, Ceren; Yıldırım, ElifAim: This study examines the effects of cognitive reserve (CR) on Executive Functions (EF) and Theory of Mind (ToM). While CR is suggested to mitigate age-related cognitive decline, its relationship with social cognition remains limited and inconsistent in the literature. It was hypothesized that the effect of CR on ToM might be indirect, mediated by EF and working memory. Methods: 225 cognitively healthy participants were included. CR was measured with the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire, EF with verbal fluency and the Stroop Test, and WM using digit span tasks. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the relationships among CR, EF, WM, and SC, controlling for age and gender. Results: CR was significantly associated with both RMET and FPRT performances. Mediation analysis revealed the direct effects of CR on RMET performance, while the effects on FPRT performance were mediated by executive functions. WM had a partial mediating effect on EF and ToM, but did not directly influence FPRT. Education was most strongly associated with RMET performance, while leisure activities were linked to FPRT performance. Conclusion: These findings suggest that CR indirectly supports ToM by enhancing EF and highlight the importance of interventions aimed at strengthening executive control to support social cognition in aging.Yayın Validation and normative data study for the Turkish version of the movie for the assessment of social cognition (MASC-TR)(Oxford University Press, 2026-02-05) Şandor, Serra; Hıdıroğlu-Ongun, Ceren; Tanfer, Mehmet Can; Gürkaş, Sena; Bora, Emre; Yıldırım, ElifObjective This study aimed to adapt the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) into Turkish (MASC-TR), examine its psychometric properties, and establish normative data. Additionally, the study investigated the discriminative validity of the MASC-TR in differentiating individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from healthy controls. Methods The sample comprised 228 healthy adults and 29 individuals with ASD aged 18–45 years. Participants completed the MASC-TR along with established measures of theory of mind (ToM)—the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and the Faux Pas Recognition Test (FPRT)—as well as non-social cognitive tasks assessing attention, working memory, and executive functions. Reliability analyses included internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Construct validity was assessed via convergent and discriminant correlations. Group comparisons and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to evaluate discriminative validity, while multifactorial analysis of variance and regression analyses examined demographic effects. Results The MASC-TR demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α=0.75) and excellent test–retest reliability (ICC=0.98). Significant positive correlations with RMET and FPRT supported convergent validity. Education level emerged as the only significant demographic predictor of MASC-TR performance. The MASC-TR successfully differentiated individuals with ASD from controls (t=−3.87, p<.001), with an optimal cutoff of 23.5 yielding 97% sensitivity and 52% specificity (area under the curve=0.72). Conclusions The findings indicate that the MASC-TR is a valid and reliable measure of social cognition in Turkish adults. The availability of culturally adapted normative data enhances its clinical and research utility for assessing ToM functioning across populations.
