Maitre Nathalie L, Barnett Zachary P, Key Alexandra P F
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
J Child Neurol. 2012 Oct;27(10):1276-83. doi: 10.1177/0883073811435682. Epub 2012 Feb 28.
The brain's response to somatosensory stimuli is essential to experience-driven learning in children. It was hypothesized that advances in event-related potential technology could quantify the response to touch in somatosensory cortices and characterize the responses of hemiparetic children. In this prospective study of 8 children (5-8 years old) with hemiparetic cerebral palsy, both event-related potential responses to sham or air puff trials and standard functional assessments were used. Event-related potential technology consistently measured signals reflecting activity in the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices as well as complex cognitive processing of touch. Participants showed typical early responses but less efficient perceptual processes. Significant differences between affected and unaffected extremities correlated with sensorimotor testing, stereognosis, and 2-point discrimination (r > 0.800 and P = .001 for all). For the first time, a novel event-related potential paradigm shows that hemiparetic children have slower and less efficient tactile cortical perception in their affected extremities.
大脑对体感刺激的反应对于儿童基于经验的学习至关重要。据推测，事件相关电位技术的进步能够量化体感皮层对触觉的反应，并描绘偏瘫儿童的反应特征。在这项针对8名（5至8岁）偏瘫型脑瘫儿童的前瞻性研究中，使用了对假刺激或吹气试验的事件相关电位反应以及标准功能评估。事件相关电位技术持续测量反映初级和次级体感皮层活动以及触觉复杂认知处理的信号。参与者表现出典型的早期反应，但感知过程效率较低。患侧和未患侧肢体之间的显著差异与感觉运动测试、实体觉和两点辨别相关（所有相关系数r>0.800且P = 0.001）。一种新型的事件相关电位范式首次表明，偏瘫儿童患侧肢体的触觉皮层感知更慢且效率更低。
