Reduced brain processing of affective pictures in children with cerebral palsy
Saliha Belmonte1, Pedro Montoya1, Ana M González-Roldán1
1University Institute of Health Sciences Research (IUNICS-IdISPa), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) show altered brain responses to emotional images, with reduced activation and different subjective ratings compared to typically developing peers (TDP). This suggests difficulties in processing emotionally relevant stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Neurology
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is frequently associated with sensory and cognitive impairments.
- The impact of CP on the brain's processing of affective information remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in the brain processing of affective visual stimuli between children with CP and typically developing peers (TDP).
- To explore potential alterations in the early stages of emotional information detection in children with CP.
Main Methods:
- An observational study comparing evoked-related potentials in 15 children with CP and 14 TDP while viewing pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral images.
- Assessment of subjective perception of valence and arousal for each image.
Main Results:
- Children with CP exhibited reduced occipital evoked potential amplitudes (P100, N200) to affective stimuli during early processing latencies.
- Children with CP rated affective pictures as less arousing and neutral pictures as more pleasant compared to TDP.
Conclusions:
- Children with CP demonstrate diminished brain activation and behavioral responses to emotional content.
- Early-latency processing differences suggest potential alterations in detecting emotionally relevant stimuli in CP.
Abstract:
Sensory and cognitive deficits are common comorbidities in children with cerebral palsy. This observational study examines if brain processing of affective information is also altered in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in comparison with typically developing peers (TDP).
Methods:
Evoked-related potentials were recorded in 15 children with CP (age = 11.27 ± 4.53 yr, 6 girls) and 14 TDP (age = 10.14 ± 4.29 yr, 5 girls) when viewing pleasant, unpleasant and neutral pictures. The subjective perception of valence and arousal of each one of the pictures was examined.
Results:
Children with CP showed a significant amplitude reduction of evoked potentials in the occipital region to the affective stimuli in early brain processing latencies (P100 and N200; all F > 2.9, all p < .05). Children with CP rated pictures with affective content (pleasant and unpleasant) as less arousing (F(2.25) = 46.71, p < .001), and neutral pictures as more pleasant, than their TDP (F(2.25) = 75.56, p < .001).
Conclusion:
The pictures with emotional content produce less activation, both at the behavioral and brain processing levels in children with CP. These differences were found in early latencies of brain processing which could be related to alterations in the detection of emotionally relevant stimuli.
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