Disturbances in the Voluntary Control of Emotional Expression After Stroke

Emotions after stroke: A narrative update

AIM

In this narrative review we aimed to describe how stroke affects emotions and update the readers on the emotional disturbances that occur after stroke.

METHODS

We searched Medline from 1.1.2013 to 1.7.2019, personal files and references of selected publications. All retrieved systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials were included. Other references were selected by relevance.

SUMMARY OF REVIEW

The emotional response includes a reactive behavior with arousal, somatic, motivational and motor components, and a distinctive cognitive and subjective affective experience. Emotional category responses and experiences after stroke can show dissociations between the behavioral response and the cognitive and affective experiences. Emotional disturbances that often occur after stroke include fear, anger, emotional indifference, lack of understanding of other emotions, and lack of control of emotional expression. Emotional disturbances limit social reintegration of the persons with stroke and are a source of caregiver burnout. The evidence to support the management of the majority of emotional disorders in stroke survivors is currently weak and of low or very low methodologic quality. An exception are the disorders of emotional expression control where antidepressants can have a strong beneficial effect, by reducing the number and duration of the uncontrollable episodes of crying or laughing.

CONCLUSION

Our current knowledge of the emotional disorders that occurs in acute stroke patients and in stroke survivors is heterogeneous and limited. Joint efforts of different research approaches, methodologies and disciplines will improve our current understanding on emotional disorder after stroke and indicate rational pathways to manage them.

Ischemic Stroke in Pontine and Corona Radiata: Location Specific Impairment of Neural Network Investigated With Resting State fMRI

Objective: This study aims to investigate location-specific functional remodeling following ischemic stroke in pons and corona radiata.

Methods: This study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. Written consent was obtained from each of the participants prior to the MRI examination. Thirty six subjects with first ever acute ischemic stroke in pons (PS, n = 15, aged 62.8 ± 11.01 years) or corona radiata (CRS, n = 21, aged 59.33 ± 13.84 years) as well as 30 age and sex matched healthy controls (HC, n = 30, aged 60 ± 6.43 years) were examined with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and degree centrality (DC) were calculated using a voxel-based approach. Intergroup differences in ReHo and DC were explored using a permutation test with a threshold-free cluster enhancement (PT TFCE, number of permutations = 1,000, family-wise error rate (FWER) < 0.05).

Results: ReHo and DC alterations were identified in distributed anatomies for both PS and CRS groups. DC mainly increased in the bilateral anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, the inferior frontal-orbital gyrus, and decreased in the bilateral cuneus, calcarine, and the precuneus, while ReHo mainly decreased in the precentral and the postcentral gyri, inferior parietal lobules, precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and the superior occipital gyrus. PS and CRS groups were not significantly different in ReHo or DC (FWER > 0.05).

Conclusions: Focal ischemic stroke in pons or corona radiata leads to extensive alterations in the functional network centrality. IS-induced network remodeling is more anatomy-specific than pathway-specific, which may underpin the clinicotopographical profiles during the disease dynamic. Approaches targeting neural pathway and functional connectivity may shed light on a better characterization and management innovation of ischemic stroke.

Management of post-stroke mood and emotional disturbances

INTRODUCTION

Mood and emotional disturbances are common in stroke patients. Out of diverse post-stroke emotional disturbances, depression, anxiety, emotional incontinence, anger proneness, and fatigue are frequent and important symptoms. These symptoms are distressing for both the patients and their caregivers, and negatively influence the patient's quality of life. The emotional symptoms are not apparent and are therefore often neglected by neurologists. Their phenomenology, predicting factors, and pathophysiology have been under-studied, and are under-recognized. In addition, well-designed clinical trials targeting on these symptoms are rare. Areas covered: This review will describe some of the most common or relevant post-stroke mood and emotional disturbances. The phenomenology, factors or predictors, and presumed etio-pathogenesis will be described. Current pharmacological and non-pharmacological management strategies of these diverse emotional disturbances will be discussed based on different pathophysiological mechanisms. Expert commentary: It is fortunate that these mood and emotional disturbances can be treated by various methods, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy. To administer the appropriate therapy, we must understand the similarities and differences in the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with these emotional symptoms.