De novo artistic activity following insular–SII ischemia

Abstract

We report here the case of a female patient who developed the following behavioural changes after a brain lesion involving the left posterior insula and SII cortices. She discovered de novo artistic capabilities for painting, with an episodic and compulsive need to paint (“hyperpainting”), but also exhibited changes in her ability to feel emotions. In addition, she had a typical neuropathic pain syndrome, including provoked pain and spontaneous pain, whose intensity was worsened when she painted with cold colours. This case-report suggests some kind of synaesthesiae, which has previously been reported for other sensory modalities. These findings suggest that a cross-talk between emotional, thermosensory, pain, and motivational functions may take place during recovery, at the level of the left insular–SII cortices.