Relationship between somatosensory deficit and brain somatosensory system after early brain lesion: A morphometric study. (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Perivier, Maximilien; Delion, Matthieu; Chinier, Eva; Loustau, Sebastien; Nguyen, Sylvie; Ter Minassian, Aram; Richard, Isabelle; Dinomais, Mickael
• Is Part Of: European journal of paediatric neurology. Volume 20:Number 3(2016:May)
• Page Start: 403
• Page End: 411
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Cerebral palsy -- Somatosensory system -- Morphometry -- MRI -- Sensory function; Pediatric neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous System Diseases -- Periodicals; Child -- Periodicals; Infant -- Periodicals; Neurologie pédiatrique -- Périodiques; Pediatric neurology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 618.928
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2015.11.013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1090-3798

Abstract

Abstract: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of permanent motor disorders due to non-progressive damage to the developing brain. Poor tactile discrimination is common in children with unilateral CP. Previous findings suggest the crucial role of structural integrity of the primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory areas located in the ipsilesional hemisphere for somatosensory function processing. However, no focus on the relationship between structural characteristics of ipsilesional S1 and S2 and tactile discrimination function in paretic hands has been proposed. Using structural MRI and a two-point discrimination assessment (2 PD), we explore this potential link in a group of 21 children (mean age 13 years and 7 months) with unilateral CP secondary to aperiventricular white matter injury (PWMI) or middle cerebral artery infarct (MCA). For our whole sample there was a significant negative correlation between the 2 PD and the gray matter volume in the ipsilesional S2 (rho = −0.50 95% confidence interval [−0.76, −0.08], one-tailed p-value = 0.0109) and in the ipsilesional S1 (rho = −0.57, 95% confidence interval [−0.81, −0.19], one-tailed p-value = 0.0032). When studying these relationships with regard to the lesion types, we found these correlations were non-significant in the patients withPWMI but stronger in patients with MCA. According to our results, the degree of sensory impairment is related to the spared gray matter volume in ipsilesional S1 and S2 and is marked after an MCA stroke. Our work contributes to a better understanding of why some patients with CP have variable somatosensory deficit following an early brain lesion. Highlights: Somatosensory deficit is common in patients with cerebral palsy. Preservation of structural integrity of primary and secondary sensory areas is crucial. Sensory deficit is related to the spared gray matter volume in ipsilesional S1 and S2. Neural plasticity within the sensory system appears limited after early brain lesion.