Emotion Recognition problems after Discrete, Cerebellar lesions

Whereas cerebellar damage was originally related to problems in fine motor functions, it has in the past decades been found that it can cause various cognitive consequences as well, including problems in higher-order, frontal regulated cognitive functions such as deficits in emotion recognition. Deficits in emotion recognition can have profound consequences for adequate social functioning. However, the number of studies assessing the role of emotion recognition deficits after cerebellar lesions is limited. Therefore, the current study will assess emotion recognition in patients with discrete, cerebellar lesions, using a test with excellent sensitivity and extensive norm data. We expect impaired emotion recognition in these patients.

We expect an impaired emotion recognition in patients with cerebellar lesions in comparison with matched controls.

Emotion recognition will be assessed with the Facial Expressions of Emotions: Test
and Stimuli (FEEST). Additional neuropsychological tests will be carried out to assess other
aspects of cognitive functioning. This includes the Cognitive Screening Test (CST) as a
general screening of cognitive functioning and the National Adult Reading Test (NLV) as a
screening test of premorbid verbal intelligence. The Boston Naming Test (BNT) will be
performed to assess word retrieval. To assess working memory, Digit Span (WAIS-IV) will be
included and to assess memory the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) will be
carried out. The assessment of executive functioning will be done by means of the Trail
Making Test A and B (TMT), the Verbal Fluency Test (both
phonemic and category fluency), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Iowa
Gambling Test (IGT) and the Hazard Perception Test from the SWOV Institute for Road
Safety Research.

not applicable