Francesca Pala

Facial feedback and autonomic responsiveness reflect impaired emotional processing in Parkinson’s Disease

Emotional deficits are part of the non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease but few attention has been paid to specific aspects such as subjective emotional experience and autonomic responses. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of emotional recognition in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) using the following levels: explicit evaluation of emotions (Self-Assessment Manikin) and implicit reactivity (Skin Conductance Response; electromyographic measure of facial feedback of the zygomaticus and corrugator muscles). 20 PD Patients and 34 healthy controls were required to observe and evaluate affective pictures during physiological parameters recording. In PD, the appraisal process on both valence and arousal features of emotional cues were preserved, but we found significant impairment in autonomic responses. Specifically, in comparison to healthy controls, PD patients revealed lower Skin Conductance Response values to negative and high arousing emotional stimuli. In addition, the electromyographic measures showed defective responses exclusively limited to negative and high arousing emotional category: PD did not show increasing of corrugator activity in response to negative emotions as happened in heathy controls. PD subjects inadequately respond to the emotional categories which were considered more “salient”: they had preserved appraisal process, but impaired automatic ability to distinguish between different emotional contexts.

ID 42 – Empowering executive functions by neuromodulation (tDCS) in healthy elderly: Psychometric and EEG evidences

Objective While the contribution of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) in preventing cognitive decline is looked with interest, NIBS empowerment of healthy elderly is understudied. The present research aims at investigating the effect of prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in empowering executive functions and electrophysiologic attention responses in healthy aging. Methods 22 participants have been assigned to the intervention or control group and underwent a complex assessment at T0 and at T1 – after three months. The anodal tDCS protocol lasted eight weeks (three sessions per week), with twice-weekly administration of tasks tapping on executive functions. A complete set of standardized cognitive tests and an electroencephalographic recording during a challenging computerized attention task have been integrated in the assessment protocol. Results T0–T1 comparisons highlighted a significant increase in post-intervention performances for the tDCS group. Specifically, tests tapping on executive functions and automatic electrophysiologic attention responses showed positive modulations. Conclusions The consistency of behavioral and electrophysiologic findings suggests that a moderately intensive NIBS protocol might mediate the empowerment of specific cognitive functions even in healthy aging people. Key message Physiological aging is a dynamic process, where non-invasive interventions may capitalize on resources of the cognitive reserve to help improving cognitive functioning.

Effetto della neuromodulazione corticale (tdcs) nell’healthy ageing. Correlati eeg e comportamentali

Nella cornice teorica dell’active and healthy ageing, l’invecchiamento fisiologico e visto come un processo dinamico che puo offrire opportunita per il mantenimento e il potenziamento delle capacita cognitive e affettivo-sociali. In quest’ottica, gli interventi di empowerment mediante neuromodulazione si offrono come potenziali strumenti per il contenimento del fisiologico declino cognitivo e delle sue derive patologiche. Sulla base delle evidenze relative al coinvolgimento primario nel processo di invecchiamento delle strutture neurali prefrontali e delle funzioni esecutive da esse mediate, e stato predisposto un protocollo di potenziamento mediato da stimolazione cerebrale non-invasiva (tDCS). Il confronto integrato di misure di outcome psicometriche ed elettrofisiologiche (potenziali evento- relati, ERP) tra gruppo sperimentale e gruppo di controllo ha evidenziato profili di miglioramento a favore del primo, con un incremento dei punteggi ottenuti ai test sulle funzioni esecutive e delle risposte elettrofisiologiche associate a processi di orientamento attentivo (N200). Tali effetti sono stati parzialmente mantenuti anche alla rilevazione di follow-up, suggerendo interessanti implicazioni delle tecniche di neuromodulazione in percorsi preventivi o di intervento precoce.

68. The effect of a neuromodulation protocol on executive functions in healthy elderly: Psychometric and EEG evidences

Executive functions tend to decrease their efficiency during the physiological aging process. Nevertheless, cognitive and brain reserves are thought to act as protective factors against cognitive decline. Then, the re-activation of cognitive and neural networks by means of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may help in maintaining those reserves and improving functional profiles. The present research investigates the effect of prefrontal NIBS in empowering executive functions and electrophysiological attention responses in healthy elderly people. Twenty-two volunteers have been assigned to a control or NIBS group. The NIBS protocol (anodal transcranial direct current stimulation) lasted eight weeks (three sessions per week), with twice-weekly administration of tasks tapping on executive functions. Participants’ cognitive and electrophysiological profiles were assessed at the beginning, after the treatment period, and after six months. Data analyses showed interesting positive modulations in post-intervention performances for the NIBS group – specifically in tests tapping on executive functions and automatic electrophysiological attention responses. Besides, participants’ subjective reports of improvement in everyday functioning, behavioral and electrophysiological evidences suggest that a moderately intensive NIBS protocol might help in empowering specific cognitive functions even in healthy aging.