Emotional Disturbances after Stroke

Impairment after stroke may have acute and long-lasting psychological implications. Additionally, organic brain dysfunction also appears to play an important role in poststroke affective modifications. Emotional state is multidetermined and can be specifically modified by alteration of some brain networks. This article illustrates a certain number of acute and more chronic emotional disturbances after stroke, such as mood disorders, emotional dyscontrol, and modification of emotional experiences. Some neural mechanisms implicated in these modifications are discussed. The main modifications described are depression anxiety, psychosis, modification of emotional experience, and fatigue.