Functional infrared thermal imaging (fITI) is considered a promising method to measure emotional autonomic responses through facial cutaneous thermal variations. However, the facial thermal response to emotions still needs to be investigated within the framework of the dimensional approach to emotions. The main aim of this study was to assess how the facial thermal variations index the emotional arousal and valence dimensions of visual stimuli. Twenty-four participants were presented with three groups of standardized emotional pictures (unpleasant, neutral and pleasant) from the International Affective Picture System. Facial temperature was recorded at the nose tip, an important region of interest for facial thermal variations, and compared to electrodermal responses, a robust index of emotional arousal. Both types of responses were also compared to subjective ratings of pictures. An emotional arousal effect was found on the amplitude and latency of thermal responses and on the amplitude and frequency of electrodermal responses. The participants showed greater thermal and dermal responses to emotional than to neutral pictures with no difference between pleasant and unpleasant ones. Thermal responses correlated and the dermal ones tended to correlate with subjective ratings. Finally, in the emotional conditions compared to the neutral one, the frequency of simultaneous thermal and dermal responses increased while both thermal or dermal isolated responses decreased. Overall, this study brings convergent arguments to consider fITI as a promising method reflecting the arousal dimension of emotional stimulation and, consequently, as a credible alternative to the classical recording of electrodermal activity. The present research provides an original way to unveil autonomic implication in emotional processes and opens new perspectives to measure them in touchless conditions.

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This study evidenced a cortical dissociation for body-centered and gravitational representations biases, which may reflect the differential involvement of these brain regions in spatial information processing. The lesions involved in representation biases (especially of the SV) and postural difficulties overlapped to some extent in the temporoparietal, superior temporal, and posterior insular regions of the cortex.

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Background and Purpose-Patients with right hemispheric stroke usually present an anticlockwise deviation of the subjective visual vertical (SVV) in the frontal (roll) plane. However, the occurrence of a similar disorder in the sagittal (pitch) plane has never been assessed. We investigated the subjective visual vertical in both planes in those patients. Methods-Eight patients, 4 with spatial neglect (Nϩ) and 4 without neglect (NϪ), were compared with 4 healthy participants (C). They sat facing a luminous bar adjustable in rotation, either in the roll or in the pitch plane, and had to orient it in a vertical position, in the dark. Results-Compared with NϪ (Ϫ0.1°) and C (ϩ1.1°) groups, Nϩ patients presented with a significant backward deviation (Ϫ4.5°) of the SVV in pitch. In accordance with other studies, they also showed a significant anticlockwise deviation (Ϫ8.8°) of the SVV in roll, as compared with NϪ (Ϫ1.9°) and C (ϩ0.4°) subjects. This was associated with an opposite trunk deviation in both planes. Conclusions-While confirming the anticlockwise deviation already reported in the frontal plane, we showed for the first time to our knowledge a backward deviation of the SVV in neglect patients, which has to be put in relation with their balance disorders. (Stroke. 2005;36:588-591.)

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