Recognition of non literal senses in women with diagnosis of Turner Syndrome

LOPEZ MORALES, H.; URQUIJO, S.; ZABALA, MA. LUCÍA; SARTORI, S.; LOPEZ, M.; AGUILAR, M.J.; RICHARD'S, MARÍA M

Buenos Aires

Congreso; World Congress on Brain, Behavior and Emotions; 2016

Introduction:theoryof mind is the ability to atribute mind to others. The capacity to recognize anon literal sense is one of the highest levels on theory of mind. Turner´sSyndrome is a chromosomal disorder expressed phenotypically in an atypicaldevelopment of certain brain areas involved in social cognitive processes; alsoexisting empirical evidence supporting that women with this diagnosis presents impairments in specific aspects involved in socialfunctioning. Aim: to characterize therecognition of non literal senses in women with diagnosis of Turner´s Syndrome,as part of the processes involved in theory of mind that contribute to socialdevelopment.Method: retrospective ex post facto design with twogroups, in a sample of 20 women with diagnosis of Turner´s Syndrome and itsrespective control cases. To assess recognition of non literal senses we usedthe Metaphoric Communications and Strange Stories of Happé test.Obtained data were submitted to a descriptivestatistical analysis and statistical test of group comparison. Results:allow to observe an impairment in recognition of non literal senses in womenwith diagnosis of Turner´s Syndrome compared to their control group, obtainingsignificant differences in total score (Clinical group: M=3,45, DS= 1,91; Control group: M=5,50, DS=1,74;U=32,50 Z= -2,46, P< .01); committing more mistakes of the realistic type (justifyingthe sense of a phrase in a literal way). Conclusions: investigation shows that social difficulties in women with diagnosis ofTurner´s Syndrome may be associated to an impairment in theory of mind relatedto infer the sense underlying social situations. Being able to infer only theliteral senses may imply, in this case, a dephasing in the pragmatic aspects ofsocial communication.