Can reading emotions explain social struggles in MS?

NCT ID NCT02708927

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are asking whether people with multiple sclerosis who have trouble reading emotions also face more difficulties in family life, friendships, and social integration. The study compares three groups: MS patients with emotional processing problems, MS patients without such problems, and healthy volunteers. Participants undergo clinical, cognitive, and psychological evaluations, and their social functioning is measured through questionnaires. The goal is to understand if emotional processing deficits are linked to reduced social participation and quality of life in MS.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If this study succeeds, it could clarify how emotional processing problems affect social life in MS, pointing toward ways to support patients' relationships and quality of life.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, so it cannot prove cause and effect. The findings may not apply to all people with MS, and the study is relatively small.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

91 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2016

Finished

Jan 2019

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 45 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria (patient group): * Age 18-45 years; * MS diagnosis according to McDonald criteria (Polman et al., 2005); * RRMS; * Disease duration \< 15 years; * Fluent French speaker; * Have a significant other (family members or close friends) who was willing to complete the informant questionnaire BAFQ; * Being affiliated to health insurance; * Having signed an informed consent (later than the day of inclusion and before any examination required by research). Inclusion Criteria (healthy control): * Age 18-45 years * Fluent French speaker; * Have a significant other (family members or close friends) who was willing to complete the informant questionnaire BAFQ. * Being affiliated to health insurance * Having signed an informed consent (later than the day of inclusion and before any examination required by research) Exclusion Criteria (patient group): * Other progressive neurological disease; * psychiatric comorbidity including severe depression according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV); * alcohol or other addiction to toxic; * EDSS\> 6; * Disabling visual or motor problems preventing participation to neuropsychological assessments; * relapse since less than one month; * change of disease-modifying therapy or psychotropic drug since less than three month; * change of psychotropic drug since less than one month; * Prior neuropsychological testing with the same tests less than one year prevents the participant to participate at this study. * Illiteracy, is unable to count or to read; * Being under guardianship. * Pregnant or breastfeeding women; Exclusion Criteria (healthy control): * History of neurological disease; * family history of MS; * psychiatric comorbidity including severe depression according to DSMIV; * alcohol or other toxic addiction; * usage of psychotropic drugs; * Known cognitive complaint or neuropsychological affection; * Prior neuropsychological testing with the same tests less than one year prevents the participant to participate at this study. * Illiteracy, is unable to count or to read; * Being under guardianship. * Pregnant or breastfeeding women;

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • CHU de Bordeaux

    Bordeaux, 33000, France

  • CHU de Dijon

    Dijon, 21079, France

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