Acute stroke effects on emotions: an interpretation through the mirror system.
OBJECTIVE
The most recent reports on emotional consequences of stroke are hereby reviewed and analyzed. In particular the interpretation of some neurological presentations found in stroke patients, such as athymormia, dysprosody, emotional incontinence and emotional blunting is discussed. As current theories on mental functions do not provide satisfactory explanations for the above syndromes, a novel interpretative framework is proposed, based on neuropsychological experimental data on the 'mirror system'.


RESULTS
Recent findings support both the fundamental role of the mirror system in imitative processes as well as the relevance of imitation for the emotional part of human personality and behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
The mirror system appears to be of paramount relevance for empathy and social behavior. The model of analysis-by-synthesis is here discussed, together with neurological presentations resulting from stroke induced impairments of the mirror system. Speculations for further researches are also proposed.
Bodini
Benedetta
B
Department of Neurological Sciences, 1st University of Roma 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy.
Iacoboni
Marco
M
Lenzi
Gian Luigi
GL
D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000503:physiopathology; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012919:Social Behavior; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology