Cognición social en adicciones

Abstract

Social cognition refers to the array of cognitive processes involved in social interaction scenarios. Both basic components of social cognition and manifest social behavior are impaired in patients with addiction. Therefore, in recent years, there is a burgeoning interest in the basic and clinical implications of social cognition deficits in addicted individuals, and in the potential advantages of developing treatments related to social cognition skills in the context of addiction.

Social cognition is composed of a myriad of cognitive and emotional processes involved in emotional perception, mental states simulation and prediction, and learning processes relevant to optimize adjustment to social-affective scenarios. These processes are linked to the functioning of brain systems involved in the generation, simulation and regulation of emotions, such as prefrontal and parietal cortices, cingulate and insular association regions or the amygdala; these systems are also importantly involved in the addiction process.

There is a need to consider and thoroughly assess social cognition skills in addiction-related research and treatment settings.