Impaired emotional face processing in patients with multiple sclerosis: an ERP analysis of the N170 component

Background: Besides variable neuropsychological disturbances, patients with a multiple sclerosis (MS) show impairments of discriminating emotional facial expressions. In ERP studies, the processing of faces is related to the N170, a negative potential peaking around at 170ms and typically identified over temporo-occipital sensor sites. The neural sources of the face-sensitive N170 have repeatedly been localized in the gyrus fusiformis with additional activations in temporal, parietal and occipital brain structures. While lesions of the right temporal and parietal cortex are essential in deficits of recognizing a…