Inability to process negative emotions in cerebellar damage. A functional transcranial doppler sonographic study

Objectives. Recent studies have implicated the cerebellum as part of a circuitry that is necessary to modulate higher-order and behaviorally relevant information in emotional domains. However, little is known about the relationship between the cerebellum and emotional processing. This study examined cerebellar function specifically in the processing of negative emotions. Methods. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was performed to detect selective changes in middle cerebral artery flow velocity during emotional stimulation in patients affected by focal or degenerative cerebellar lesions and in matched healthy subjects. Changes in flow velocity during non-emotional (motor and cognitive tasks) and emotional (relaxing and negative stimuli) conditions were recorded. Results. In the present study we found that during negative emotional task, the hemodynamic pattern of the cerebellar patiens was significantly different to that of controls. Indeed, whereas relaxing stimuli did not elicit a