title: fMRI study of graduated emotional charge for detection of covert activity using passive listening to narratives.
abstract: Detection of awareness in patients with consciousness disorders is a challenge that can be facilitated by functional neuroimaging. We elaborated a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol to detect covert activity in altered states of consciousness. We hypothesized that passive listening to narratives with graduated emotional charge triggers graduated cerebral activations. The fMRI protocol was designed in healthy subjects for further clinical applications. The emotional charge was graduated using voice familiarity and long-term declarative memory content: low emotional charge, unknown person telling general semantic memory; mean emotional charge, relative telling the same narratives; high emotional charge, same relative telling autobiographical memory. Autobiographical memory was subdivided into semantic autobiographical memory and episodic autobiographical memory. The protocol proved efficient at triggering graduated cerebral activations: low emotional charge, superior temporal gyri and sulci; mean emotional charge, same as low emotional charge plus bilateral premotor cortices and left inferior frontal gyrus; high emotional charge, cingulate, temporal, frontal, prefrontal and angular areas, thalamus and cerebellum. Semantic autobiographical memory revealed larger activations than episodic autobiographical memory. Independent ROI analysis confirmed the preponderant contribution of narratives with autobiographical memory content in triggering cerebral activation, not only in autobiographical memory-sensitive areas, but also in voice-sensitive, language-sensitive and semantic memory-sensitive areas.
authors.affiliation: IGCNC (Image-Guided Clinical Neuroscience and Connectomics), Axe TGI (Thérapies guidées par l'image), Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France. Electronic address: asontheimer@chu-clermontferrand.fr.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sontheimer
authors.affiliation: IGCNC (Image-Guided Clinical Neuroscience and Connectomics), Axe TGI (Thérapies guidées par l'image), Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Saint-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vassal
authors.affiliation: Unité de Radiologie, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jean
authors.affiliation: IGCNC (Image-Guided Clinical Neuroscience and Connectomics), Axe TGI (Thérapies guidées par l'image), Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Feschet
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Toulouse, France; ToNIC (Toulouse Neuro Imaging Center), UMR1214, INSERM, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lubrano
authors.affiliation: IGCNC (Image-Guided Clinical Neuroscience and Connectomics), Axe TGI (Thérapies guidées par l'image), Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lemaire
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: autobiographical memory; disorders of consciousness; semantic memory; speech; voice familiarity