Somatosensory modulation of affective pictures' processing in adults with cerebral palsy and healthy controls: a case-control study.

Abstract

Background: Brain processing of both somatosensation and emotion is altered in individuals with cerebral palsy. This paper aims at further exploring the interaction between the somatosensory system and affective processing in individuals with cerebral palsy.

Methods: Somatosensory thresholds and emotion knowledge were assessed in 18 adults with cerebral palsy and compared with 15 age and sex-matched controls. EEG event-related potentials elicited by viewing affective pictures were recorded. During event-related potentials acquisition, a continuous cutaneous electrical stimulus was applied either at supra- or sub-threshold intensity.

Results: Adults with CP had higher pain sensitivity and increased emotion difficulties, as well as lower event related potential amplitudes than controls. Moreover, the modulatory effects of the somatosensory stimuli on the brain processing of affective pictures differed between adults with CP and controls. Sex was an important factor affecting somatosensory modulation in affective picture brain processing.

Conclusions: In adults with CP the interaction of abnormal processing of somatosensory and emotional inputs may give rise to a more basic interpretation of emotional cues in complex contexts. Pain sensitivity and sex appear as relevant factors that influence the processing of emotions in CP and should be taken into account in research and clinical settings.