403 Social cognition is associated with social problems in adolescents with Tourette syndrome

Objectives/Goals: To assess theory of mind and empathy in adolescents with Tourette syndrome (TS) and examine their association with social problems. This study aims to extend research in social cognition to an adolescent cohort with TS and identify a potential modifiable risk factor for social problems in TS that may serve as a novel intervention target. Methods/Study Population: We will enroll 50 adolescents with TS (ages 11–17) and 50 demographically matched controls along with one parent to complete a single in-person study visit. Adolescents with TS will be recruited through the Vanderbilt Center for TS and other Tic disorders. Controls will be recruited using university listservs and flyers posted in community and primary care settings. Adolescents will complete the NEPSY-II to assess theory of mind abilities and the Multifaceted Empathy Test – Juvenile to assess empathy with negative emotions. Parents will complete the Child Behavior Checklist to assess adolescent social problems. Results/Anticipated Results: Based on evidence of low self-other distinction in TS, we hypothesize TS adolescents will make more errors about the mental states of others (theory of mind) and report greater emotional reactions to faces (empathy) compared to controls. Further, greater social problems will be associated with greater disturbances in social cognition. To date, 15 adolescents with TS and 15 matched controls have completed the assessment (67% male; Mage = 14.33 in both groups). Within this sample, adolescents with TS experienced more social problems than controls (Cohen’s d = .74, p = .03). There were no between-group differences in theory of mind or empathy in this pilot sample. However, higher levels of both theory of mind and empathy were linked to experiencing greater social problems in the TS sample only (p’s < .05). Discussion/Significance of Impact: Preliminary findings suggest that while social cognition did not differ between groups, TS adolescents exhibiting high levels of theory of mind and empathy appear to struggle socially. This work could inform future interventions by highlighting the need to focus on social cognition and how these skills translate into social behaviors.