- Email: [email protected]
231 Neuropsychological perspectives in electrodermal research
Abstracts
/International
Journal
fields. One of these fields is the assessment of attentional responses in mentally retarded children. Electrodermal research may be of use to further explore both cognitive and neural impairments in retarded people. Early identification of mental retardation and the development and implementation of educational and rehabilitation programs could also benefit from electrodermal research. In this line, Barry and co-workers have carried out a series of experiments on the orienting response in autistic children. Results showed an impairment of the habituation of electrodermal and other orienting components, suggesting that autistic children are characterized by a psychophysiological hyperreactivity associated to a quantitative developmental delay. The research in our laboratory on electrodermal orienting reactions in children with Down syndrome showed that these children give electrodermal orienting responses of a lower amplitude than did the children in the control group, although both groups showed habituation of their responses. No significant differences were found between groups in either skin conductance level or frequency of nonspecific responses. Overall, children with Down syndrome showed electrodermal hyporesponsivity in their orienting responses, suggesting a lack of attentional resources that are necessary to process new stimuli. These results show the necessity for testing the strength and the efficacy of the attentional responses evoked by children with Down syndrome when facing new stimulation in educational and noneducational environments.
230 ELECTRODERMAL GENERATION
ACHVITY
AND NEURAL
RE-
U. Ahcan’, Z.M. Amez’, M. Janko’ ‘University Department of Plastic Surgery and Bums, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia ‘University Institute of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia Electrodermal activity has been studied under different termes and by numerous methods as an indicator of emotional change in psychological studies and for evaluation of the autonomic nervous system dysfunction in clinical neurophysiology. Sympathetic skin response (SSR) first described in 1984 is an established electrophysiological phenomena reflecting activity of a part of the sympathetic nervous system. Electrical, magnetical, auditory stimulus or deep inspiration trigger an intersegmental multisynaptic reflex and finely change the electrical skin potential of palms and soles. SSR is synchronised with the activity of the sudomotor axons in human. It is blocked by iontophoresis of atropine or by sympathectomy. SSR is independent from vasoconstrictor reflex. On this basis SSR has come to be used for evaluating postganglionic sympathetic activity in peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, ejaculation dysfunction, Parkinsonism and many other diseases. Return of autonomic function is one of the aspects of
of Pvchophysiology
30 (1998)
91
7-94
regeneration of severed peripheral nerves. The method of recording SSR was used to assess regeneration of sudomotor sympathetic axons following complete transection and microsurgical reconstruction of the median and/or ulnar nerves, replanted fingers, microneurovascular toe-to-hand transfer, macroreplantation of upper extremities, and in patients in whom injured axons failed to regenerate. The SSR were elicited with electrical stimulation of the forearm on the normal side, and recorded between the dorsum of the hand and three sites in the innervation area of median and ulnar nerves. The amplitude and area of the SSRs were compared to those obtained at identical points on the uninjured hand. Following nerve regeneration, after an initial absence, the SSRs could be recorded after about 4 months postoperatively at the most proximal site in adults and after 2-3 months in children. It progressed subsequently over a 14 or 16 months observation period to less than 50% of the normal side in adults and close to 100% in children; recovery was fastest and most complete for the proximal recording site, and it was considerably earlier in children. End-stage recovery studied 2-7 years postoperatively reached an average of 80 to 100% at the most proximal recording site in most adults and children. The intermediate and distal sites showed less complete return of the SSR. In another group results showed better end-stage recovery of sudomotor function following finger replantation when compared to microvascular toe-to-hand transfer or macroreplantation. Evaluating the contribution of collateral sprouting to sudomotor recovery in human palm after peripheral nerve injury showed that collateral reinnervation from the uninjured nerve was limited to the border innervation area of the palm and ring finger. The extent of sudomotor fiber regeneration corresponds well to the area of sensory recovery tested by clinical methods and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) measurements. The method of recording electrodermal activity, SSRs, is considered suitable for monitoring the regeneration of sudomotor fibers after division and suture of peripheral nerves of the hand, and might become a useful additional method for objective non-invasive evaluation of nerve regeneration in routine clinical practice.
231 NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ELECTRODERMAL RESEARCH
PERSPECTIVES
IN
H. Sequeira and J. Naveteur Laboratoire de Neurosciences du Comportement, SN4.1, Univ. de Lille I, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France Electrodermal activity (EDA) is a valid autonomic index of central nervous system processes such as emotion and cognition. Electrodermal responses (EDR) reflect characteristics of stimuli such as novelty, previsibility, intensity or emotional impact. Tonic changes of EDA, extending over longer periods of time, may depend more on sustained internal states, reflecting processes such as arousal, emotions and attentional
92
Abstracts
/International
Journal
effort. The use of EDA as a valued tool in these areas of research can be attributed to its sensitivity and the ease of its measurement. However, functional and neuroanatomical knowledge have been insufficiently considered together. Since the sixties, several lines of evidence have shown that the neural control of EDA integrates descending inhibitory and excitatory commands taking origin in the brain stem and modulated by hypothalamo-limbic and cortical levels. In particular, EDR can be triggered at intrareticular thresholds below those which evoke overt EEG arousal, and without behaviourally awakening the subject. Furthermore, it is known that human subjects can exhibit large EDR to significant stimuli they do not overtly discriminate. This phenomenon, termed subception, has recently been used in neuropsychological investigations. For instance, it has been shown that EDA of patients with prosopagnosia still discriminates between familiar and unfamiliar faces. Such a recognition implies subcortical mechanisms, since patients have localized occipitotemporal cortical lesions. Furthermore, neuropsychological data also could shed light on the presumed relationship between a specitic EDA asymmetry and the structural or functional hemispheric dominance. Following this line of inquiry, several studies tried to establish a link between the side of a cortical lesion and EDA asymmetry. In particular, we report on a patient with right frontal damage who presented a higher skin conductance level on the left hand. Comparisons with a right parietal patient and a control group suggested that in ct hemispheres exert a contralateral inhibitory control upon ?tonic EDA. These data reinforce new views which relate EDA to brain lesions. Recent neuropsychological trends in EDA research will be discussed, in particular the use of EDA as an index of arousal of conscious and inconscious cognitive processes in normals and in brain damaged patients. -
232 BIOELECTRIC AND MICROCIRCULATION CUTANEOUS SENSORS FOR THE STUDY OF VIGILANCE AND EMOTIONAL RESPONSE A. Dittmar, G. Delhomme, C. Collet, R. Roure, E. VemetMaury Microcapteurs and Microsysttmes Biomedicaux, INSA de Lyon, B&t. 401, CNRS LPM, 20, av. Einstein, 69621, Villeurbanne Cedex, France Bioelectric phenomena related to the activity of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANSI activity mainly take place in the deep part of the brain where they are difficult to record. The hand skin, being richly innervated by sympathetic efferent fibres, offer an interface from ,which relevant ANS-related signals can be recorded. Two non-invasive bioelectric measurements (skin resistance and potential) reflecting the activity of the ANS were performed at the skin surface. These measurements were completed by thermovascular (skin microcirculation and skin temperature) and cardiorespiratory (mstan-
of Psychophysiology
30 (1998)
7-94
taneous heart rate and instantaneous respiratory frequency) measurements. The bioelectric measurements were performed using non-invasive Ag/AgCI electrodes. Signal analysis and data processing was accomplished by means of original indices on a specially designed PC-based software. The methodology was used to evaluated vigilance level, mental workload (aircraft control) and emotional response during task (sporting activity, olfactive and gustative stimuli) as well as clinical investigation (cerebral lesions associated to emotional disturbance and critical situations (car crash avoidance). Keywords : Bioelectric sensors, autonomic nervous system, microcirculation sensor, electrodermal response, vigilance state, emotional response, olfactive stimuli.
SYMPOSIUM 41A: Pleasure and PainIncompatibility and Inter-Kindling Part I
233 SUFFERING AND WELLBEING WITH CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL
IN PATIENTS PAIN
Giancarlo Carl?*, Valeria Bachiocco ‘, Anna Lisa Suman’, Flavio Badii3, Giovanni Biasi3, Roberto Marcolongo3, Gian Paolo Di Piazza4, Paolo Castrogiovanni ‘Istuto di Fisiologia Umana, 21stituto di Anestesia e Rianimaxione, Universita di Bologna, 31stituto di Reumatologia, 4Cattedra di Psichiatria, Universitl di Siena, Italy It was the aim of the present experiments to assess the importance of psychological aspects on the quality of the pain experience. Patients (92) were recruited from Rheumatology Clinic and submitted to psychophysical tests (von Frey, Electrocutaneous Stimulation, Pressure Algometry, Cold Pressure Test, Submaximum Effort Technique and Heat and Cold stimuli), to self administered questionnaires (MAPS, STAI form Yl and 2, SCL90, PLOCs and TAS-20) and to a structured clinical interview (SCID, DSM-III-R). Suffering was correlated nor with VAS or with Well-Being (MAPS). Suffering was positive correlated with Sensory Qualities (MAPS). Vegetative stress (MAPS) was positively correlated with both STAI Y-l and STAI Y-2, Mental Stress (MAPS) was positively correlated with STAI Y-2. Generalized Anxiety (SCL90) was positively correlated with Depression. Results suggests that Suffering and Well-being represent independent parameters in the development of the pain experience.
234 NEUROCHEMISTRY SPAIR G.L. Gessa (No Abstract)
OF PLEASURE
AND
DE-
/International
Journal
fields. One of these fields is the assessment of attentional responses in mentally retarded children. Electrodermal research may be of use to further explore both cognitive and neural impairments in retarded people. Early identification of mental retardation and the development and implementation of educational and rehabilitation programs could also benefit from electrodermal research. In this line, Barry and co-workers have carried out a series of experiments on the orienting response in autistic children. Results showed an impairment of the habituation of electrodermal and other orienting components, suggesting that autistic children are characterized by a psychophysiological hyperreactivity associated to a quantitative developmental delay. The research in our laboratory on electrodermal orienting reactions in children with Down syndrome showed that these children give electrodermal orienting responses of a lower amplitude than did the children in the control group, although both groups showed habituation of their responses. No significant differences were found between groups in either skin conductance level or frequency of nonspecific responses. Overall, children with Down syndrome showed electrodermal hyporesponsivity in their orienting responses, suggesting a lack of attentional resources that are necessary to process new stimuli. These results show the necessity for testing the strength and the efficacy of the attentional responses evoked by children with Down syndrome when facing new stimulation in educational and noneducational environments.
230 ELECTRODERMAL GENERATION
ACHVITY
AND NEURAL
RE-
U. Ahcan’, Z.M. Amez’, M. Janko’ ‘University Department of Plastic Surgery and Bums, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia ‘University Institute of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia Electrodermal activity has been studied under different termes and by numerous methods as an indicator of emotional change in psychological studies and for evaluation of the autonomic nervous system dysfunction in clinical neurophysiology. Sympathetic skin response (SSR) first described in 1984 is an established electrophysiological phenomena reflecting activity of a part of the sympathetic nervous system. Electrical, magnetical, auditory stimulus or deep inspiration trigger an intersegmental multisynaptic reflex and finely change the electrical skin potential of palms and soles. SSR is synchronised with the activity of the sudomotor axons in human. It is blocked by iontophoresis of atropine or by sympathectomy. SSR is independent from vasoconstrictor reflex. On this basis SSR has come to be used for evaluating postganglionic sympathetic activity in peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, ejaculation dysfunction, Parkinsonism and many other diseases. Return of autonomic function is one of the aspects of
of Pvchophysiology
30 (1998)
91
7-94
regeneration of severed peripheral nerves. The method of recording SSR was used to assess regeneration of sudomotor sympathetic axons following complete transection and microsurgical reconstruction of the median and/or ulnar nerves, replanted fingers, microneurovascular toe-to-hand transfer, macroreplantation of upper extremities, and in patients in whom injured axons failed to regenerate. The SSR were elicited with electrical stimulation of the forearm on the normal side, and recorded between the dorsum of the hand and three sites in the innervation area of median and ulnar nerves. The amplitude and area of the SSRs were compared to those obtained at identical points on the uninjured hand. Following nerve regeneration, after an initial absence, the SSRs could be recorded after about 4 months postoperatively at the most proximal site in adults and after 2-3 months in children. It progressed subsequently over a 14 or 16 months observation period to less than 50% of the normal side in adults and close to 100% in children; recovery was fastest and most complete for the proximal recording site, and it was considerably earlier in children. End-stage recovery studied 2-7 years postoperatively reached an average of 80 to 100% at the most proximal recording site in most adults and children. The intermediate and distal sites showed less complete return of the SSR. In another group results showed better end-stage recovery of sudomotor function following finger replantation when compared to microvascular toe-to-hand transfer or macroreplantation. Evaluating the contribution of collateral sprouting to sudomotor recovery in human palm after peripheral nerve injury showed that collateral reinnervation from the uninjured nerve was limited to the border innervation area of the palm and ring finger. The extent of sudomotor fiber regeneration corresponds well to the area of sensory recovery tested by clinical methods and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) measurements. The method of recording electrodermal activity, SSRs, is considered suitable for monitoring the regeneration of sudomotor fibers after division and suture of peripheral nerves of the hand, and might become a useful additional method for objective non-invasive evaluation of nerve regeneration in routine clinical practice.
231 NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ELECTRODERMAL RESEARCH
PERSPECTIVES
IN
H. Sequeira and J. Naveteur Laboratoire de Neurosciences du Comportement, SN4.1, Univ. de Lille I, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France Electrodermal activity (EDA) is a valid autonomic index of central nervous system processes such as emotion and cognition. Electrodermal responses (EDR) reflect characteristics of stimuli such as novelty, previsibility, intensity or emotional impact. Tonic changes of EDA, extending over longer periods of time, may depend more on sustained internal states, reflecting processes such as arousal, emotions and attentional
92
Abstracts
/International
Journal
effort. The use of EDA as a valued tool in these areas of research can be attributed to its sensitivity and the ease of its measurement. However, functional and neuroanatomical knowledge have been insufficiently considered together. Since the sixties, several lines of evidence have shown that the neural control of EDA integrates descending inhibitory and excitatory commands taking origin in the brain stem and modulated by hypothalamo-limbic and cortical levels. In particular, EDR can be triggered at intrareticular thresholds below those which evoke overt EEG arousal, and without behaviourally awakening the subject. Furthermore, it is known that human subjects can exhibit large EDR to significant stimuli they do not overtly discriminate. This phenomenon, termed subception, has recently been used in neuropsychological investigations. For instance, it has been shown that EDA of patients with prosopagnosia still discriminates between familiar and unfamiliar faces. Such a recognition implies subcortical mechanisms, since patients have localized occipitotemporal cortical lesions. Furthermore, neuropsychological data also could shed light on the presumed relationship between a specitic EDA asymmetry and the structural or functional hemispheric dominance. Following this line of inquiry, several studies tried to establish a link between the side of a cortical lesion and EDA asymmetry. In particular, we report on a patient with right frontal damage who presented a higher skin conductance level on the left hand. Comparisons with a right parietal patient and a control group suggested that in ct hemispheres exert a contralateral inhibitory control upon ?tonic EDA. These data reinforce new views which relate EDA to brain lesions. Recent neuropsychological trends in EDA research will be discussed, in particular the use of EDA as an index of arousal of conscious and inconscious cognitive processes in normals and in brain damaged patients. -
232 BIOELECTRIC AND MICROCIRCULATION CUTANEOUS SENSORS FOR THE STUDY OF VIGILANCE AND EMOTIONAL RESPONSE A. Dittmar, G. Delhomme, C. Collet, R. Roure, E. VemetMaury Microcapteurs and Microsysttmes Biomedicaux, INSA de Lyon, B&t. 401, CNRS LPM, 20, av. Einstein, 69621, Villeurbanne Cedex, France Bioelectric phenomena related to the activity of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANSI activity mainly take place in the deep part of the brain where they are difficult to record. The hand skin, being richly innervated by sympathetic efferent fibres, offer an interface from ,which relevant ANS-related signals can be recorded. Two non-invasive bioelectric measurements (skin resistance and potential) reflecting the activity of the ANS were performed at the skin surface. These measurements were completed by thermovascular (skin microcirculation and skin temperature) and cardiorespiratory (mstan-
of Psychophysiology
30 (1998)
7-94
taneous heart rate and instantaneous respiratory frequency) measurements. The bioelectric measurements were performed using non-invasive Ag/AgCI electrodes. Signal analysis and data processing was accomplished by means of original indices on a specially designed PC-based software. The methodology was used to evaluated vigilance level, mental workload (aircraft control) and emotional response during task (sporting activity, olfactive and gustative stimuli) as well as clinical investigation (cerebral lesions associated to emotional disturbance and critical situations (car crash avoidance). Keywords : Bioelectric sensors, autonomic nervous system, microcirculation sensor, electrodermal response, vigilance state, emotional response, olfactive stimuli.
SYMPOSIUM 41A: Pleasure and PainIncompatibility and Inter-Kindling Part I
233 SUFFERING AND WELLBEING WITH CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL
IN PATIENTS PAIN
Giancarlo Carl?*, Valeria Bachiocco ‘, Anna Lisa Suman’, Flavio Badii3, Giovanni Biasi3, Roberto Marcolongo3, Gian Paolo Di Piazza4, Paolo Castrogiovanni ‘Istuto di Fisiologia Umana, 21stituto di Anestesia e Rianimaxione, Universita di Bologna, 31stituto di Reumatologia, 4Cattedra di Psichiatria, Universitl di Siena, Italy It was the aim of the present experiments to assess the importance of psychological aspects on the quality of the pain experience. Patients (92) were recruited from Rheumatology Clinic and submitted to psychophysical tests (von Frey, Electrocutaneous Stimulation, Pressure Algometry, Cold Pressure Test, Submaximum Effort Technique and Heat and Cold stimuli), to self administered questionnaires (MAPS, STAI form Yl and 2, SCL90, PLOCs and TAS-20) and to a structured clinical interview (SCID, DSM-III-R). Suffering was correlated nor with VAS or with Well-Being (MAPS). Suffering was positive correlated with Sensory Qualities (MAPS). Vegetative stress (MAPS) was positively correlated with both STAI Y-l and STAI Y-2, Mental Stress (MAPS) was positively correlated with STAI Y-2. Generalized Anxiety (SCL90) was positively correlated with Depression. Results suggests that Suffering and Well-being represent independent parameters in the development of the pain experience.
234 NEUROCHEMISTRY SPAIR G.L. Gessa (No Abstract)
OF PLEASURE
AND
DE-