Facial Affect Recognition Task Research Articles

Examining the association between exposome score for schizophrenia and cognition in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study

BackgroundPeople with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) frequently present cognitive impairments. Here, we investigated whether the exposome score for schizophrenia (ES-SCZ) - a cumulative environmental exposure score - was associated with impairments of neurocognition, social cognition, and perception in patients with SSD, their unaffected siblings, and healthy controls. MethodsThis cross-sectional sample consisted of 1200 patients, 1371 siblings, and 1564 healthy controls. Neurocognition, social cognition, and perception were assesed using a short version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Third Edition (WAIS-III), the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR), and the Benton Facial Recognition Test (BFR), respectively. Regression models were used to analyze the association between ES-SCZ and cognitive domains in each group. ResultsThere were no statistically significant associations between ES-SCZ and cognitive domains in SSD. ES-SCZ was negatively associated with T-score of cognition in siblings (B=-0.40, 95% CI -0.76 to -0.03) and healthy controls (B=-0.63, 95% CI -1.06 to -0.21). Additionally, ES-SCZ was positively associated with DFAR-total in siblings (B=0.83, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.40). Sensitivity analyses excluding cannabis use history from ES-SCZ largely confirmed the main findings. ConclusionsLongitudinal cohorts may elucidate how environmental exposures influence the onset and course of cognitive impairments in trans-syndromic psychosis spectrum.

Examining the association between speed-accuracy trade-offs and psychopathy among male offenders in a facial affect recognition task.

Despite a large body of work examining the relationship between facial affect recognition and psychopathy, there is little consensus regarding the nature of emotion processing in such individuals. Although most previous studies have reported an association between psychopathy and some facial affect recognition deficits, results are mixed regarding which specific emotions are related to deficient recognition for these individuals. The current study aims to examine speed-accuracy trade-offs in psychopathy. Participants were 139 incarcerated adult male offenders assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Analyses demonstrated a 3-way interaction between psychopathy, response time, and level of stimulus expression for happiness in which psychopathy mitigated the relationship between response time and level of expression on accuracy. However, the overall pattern of findings does not suggest that speed-accuracy trade-offs are a central component of facial affect recognition in psychopathy. The theoretical implications of current findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The association between cannabis use and facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study

Schizophrenia is frequently accompanied with social cognitive disturbances. Cannabis represents one established environmental factor associated with the onset and progression of schizophrenia. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of facial emotion recognition (FER) performance with cannabis use in 2039 patients with schizophrenia, 2141 siblings, and 2049 healthy controls (HC). FER performance was measured using the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR). Better FER performance as indicated by higher DFAR-total scores was associated with lifetime regular cannabis use in schizophrenia (B = 1.36, 95% CI 0.02 to 2.69), siblings (B = 2.17, 95% CI 0.79 to 3.56), and HC (B = 3.10, 95% CI 1.14 to 5.06). No associations were found between DFAR-total and current cannabis use. Patients with schizophrenia who started to use cannabis after the age of 16 showed better FER performance than patients who started earlier (B = 2.50, 95% CI 0.15 to 4.84) and non-users (B = 3.72, 95 CI 1.96 to 5.49). Better FER performance was found also in siblings who started to use cannabis after 16 compared to non-users (B = 2.37, 95% CI 0.58 to 4.16), while HC using cannabis performed better than non-users at DFAR-total regardless of the age at onset. Our findings suggest that lifetime regular cannabis use may be associated with better FER regardless of the psychosis risk, but that FER might be moderated by age at first use in people with higher genetic risk. Longitudinal studies may clarify whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between cannabis use and FER performance in psychotic and non-psychotic samples.

Supplemental Material for Examining the Association Between Speed–Accuracy Trade-Offs and Psychopathy Among Male Offenders in a Facial Affect Recognition Task

Supplemental Material for Examining the Association Between Speed–Accuracy Trade-Offs and Psychopathy Among Male Offenders in a Facial Affect Recognition Task

Facial Emotion Recognition in Psychosis and Associations With Polygenic Risk for Schizophrenia: Findings From the Multi-Center EU-GEI Case–Control Study

Background and HypothesisFacial Emotion Recognition is a key domain of social cognition associated with psychotic disorders as a candidate intermediate phenotype. In this study, we set out to investigate global and specific facial emotion recognition deficits in first-episode psychosis, and whether polygenic liability to psychotic disorders is associated with facial emotion recognition.Study Design828 First Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients and 1308 population-based controls completed assessments of the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR) and a subsample of 524 FEP and 899 controls provided blood or saliva samples from which we extracted DNA, performed genotyping and computed polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MD).Study ResultsA worse ability to globally recognize facial emotion expressions was found in patients compared with controls [B= −1.5 (0.6), 95% CI −2.7 to −0.3], with evidence for stronger effects on negative emotions (fear [B = −3.3 (1.1), 95% CI −5.3 to −1.2] and anger [B = −2.3 (1.1), 95% CI −4.6 to −0.1]) than on happiness [B = 0.3 (0.7), 95% CI −1 to 1.7]. Pooling all participants, and controlling for confounds including case/control status, facial anger recognition was associated significantly with Schizophrenia Polygenic Risk Score (SZ PRS) [B = −3.5 (1.7), 95% CI −6.9 to −0.2].ConclusionsPsychosis is associated with impaired recognition of fear and anger, and higher SZ PRS is associated with worse facial anger recognition. Our findings provide evidence that facial emotion recognition of anger might play a role as an intermediate phenotype for psychosis.

Examining facial emotion recognition as an intermediate phenotype for psychosis: Findings from the EUGEI study

BackgroundSocial cognition impairments, such as facial emotion recognition (FER), have been acknowledged since the earliest description of schizophrenia. Here, we tested FER as an intermediate phenotype for psychosis using two approaches that are indicators of genetic risk for schizophrenia: the proxy-genetic risk approach (family design) and the polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS-SCZ). MethodsThe sample comprised 2039 individuals with schizophrenia, 2141 siblings, and 2049 healthy controls (HC). The Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR) was applied to measure the FER accuracy. Schizotypal traits in siblings and HC were assessed using the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R). The PRS-SCZ was trained using the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium results. Regression models were applied to test the association of DFAR with psychosis risk, SIS-R, and PRS-SCZ. ResultsThe DFAR-total scores were lower in individuals with schizophrenia than in siblings (RR = 0.97 [95% CI 0.97, 0.97]), who scored lower than HC (RR = 0.99 [95% CI 0.99–1.00]). The DFAR-total scores were negatively associated with SIS-R total scores in siblings (B = −2.04 [95% CI −3.72, −0.36]) and HC (B = −2.93 [95% CI −5.50, −0.36]). Different patterns of association were observed for individual emotions. No significant associations were found between DFAR scores and PRS-SCZ. ConclusionsOur findings based on a proxy genetic risk approach suggest that FER deficits may represent an intermediate phenotype for schizophrenia. However, a significant association between FER and PRS-SCZ was not found. In the future, genetic mechanisms underlying FER phenotypes should be investigated trans-diagnostically.

QOL-15. NEURAL NETWORK INTEGRITY FOR FACIAL AFFECT RECOGNITION IN SURVIVORS OF MEDULLOBLASTOMA

BACKGROUNDMedulloblastoma survivors are at risk for social deficits, yet underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.METHODSFacial affect recognition was assessed in 50 medulloblastoma survivors treated with craniospinal radiation (median[range] 21.4[12.5–30.9] years old, 11.0[5.7–22.6] years since diagnosis) and 56 non-cancer age-, sex-, and race-matched controls. Brain activation and connectivity in core regions/nodes of the face perception network (fusiform gyri, occipital gyri, superior temporal sulcus) were examined using structural and functional neuroimaging. Structural networks were constructed from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and individual node strength and efficiency were assessed. Functional MRI (fMRI) was conducted using a 1-back facial affect recognition task with assessment of regional differences in task-related cerebral blood flow (BOLD). Standardized neurocognitive testing was completed with 24 hours of brain imaging.RESULTSMedulloblastoma survivors performed worse on a behavioral measure of facial affect recognition (P=0.003) compared to matched controls. During the facial affect recognition task, controls demonstrated greater BOLD activation of the left and right fusiform gyri and the left and right middle occipital gyri compared to survivors (P’s<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). DTI indicated weaker core node strength in survivors in the right lateral occipital gyri (P=0.02) and efficiency was lower in the left (P=0.01) and right (P=0.03) occipital gyri compared to controls.CONCLUSIONSMedulloblastoma survivors have deficits in facial affect recognition and reduced activation and efficiency in brain regions comprising the face perception network compared to matched controls. Interventions targeting this specific skill and neural network may improve social functioning in survivors.

A Distinct Neurophenotype of Fearful Face Processing in Alcohol Use Disorder With and Without Comorbid Anxiety.

Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) can present with comorbid anxiety symptoms and often have deficits in emotional processing. Previous research suggests brain response is altered during facial affect recognition tasks, especially in limbic areas, due to either AUD or anxiety symptomology; however, the impact of both AUD and clinically significant anxiety symptoms during these tasks has not yet been examined. In this study, we investigated neural activation differences during an emotional face-matching task. Participants (N=232) underwent fMRI scanning, as part of a larger study. Three groups were investigated: individuals with diagnosed AUD and elevated anxiety traits (AUD+ANX, n=90), individuals with diagnosed AUD but non-clinically significant levels of anxiety (AUD-ANX, n=39), and healthy controls (HC, n=103). Our results illustrate distinct neurophenotypes of AUD, where individuals with comorbid anxiety symptomology have blunted emotional face processing while those with singular AUD are hyperresponsive. This suggests AUD with anxiety symptomology may have a unique neurobiological underpinning, and treatment and intervention should be tailored to individual constellations of symptoms.

Facial affect recognition moderates the relation between autonomic nervous system reactivity and aggression during dyadic conflict.

Researchers examining physiological factors of emotion have identified differential patterns of physiological reactivity among intimate partner violence perpetrators during interpersonal conflict. Although it is unclear what mechanisms are influencing these distinct physiological patterns, research suggests that perpetrators' ability to decode emotions may be involved. The current study examined how the relation between an individual's physiological reactivity and their aggression during conflict with an intimate partner is influenced by the affect they are exposed to and their affect recognition ability. Sixty-seven heterosexual couples completed self-report measures and participated in a conflict discussion while physiological measures were recorded. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) was indexed by Skin Conductance Level (SCL) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) by Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA). Aggressive affect was coded from video. Additionally, men were administered a facial affect recognition task. Results indicated that observed aggression during the conflict discussion was associated with RSA and SCL suppression, but only for men with moderate to high affect recognition ability. Additionally, the interaction effects between physiological reactivity and affect recognition on male aggression was conditional on their partner exhibiting at least moderate levels of aggressive affect. Findings from our study suggest that the relation between autonomic nervous system reactivity during conflict and aggression toward an intimate partner is conditional on men's ability to decode the facial affect of their partner. For individuals who were able to decode aggressive affect from their partner, aggression was associated with decreased parasympathetic and SNS activation.

Genetic modulation of facial emotion recognition in borderline personality disorder

Facial emotion recognition (FER) has been described to be impaired in borderline personality disorder (BPD), especially for neutral faces. Genetic modulation of FER has been studied in healthy individuals and some psychiatric conditions, but no genetic association studies have been conducted in BPD hitherto. The main objective of our study was to explore the influence of the serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region (5HTTLPR) and catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met on facial emotion processing among BPD patients. To that end, seventy-six BPD outpatients were asked to complete a computer-based facial affect recognition task, representing four emotions (neutral, happy, fearful or angry). Accuracy of FER and perceptual biases were calculated. The 5HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms were genotyped using saliva samples. Individuals with the high-activity serotonin-transporter genotype and those with the low-activity COMT genotype had significantly more difficulties identifying neutral faces; the former showed stronger bias to perceive neutral faces as happy, and the latter, neutral faces as fearful. Interestingly, the perceptual biases observed in our patients are similar to previous reports in healthy individuals. The authors propose that the ability to accurately recognize neutral faces might be a possible endophenotype of BPD. Sex-genotype interactions were also observed in relation to angry faces and 5HTTLPR, and neutral faces and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms, in line with sex-related differences previously described for both polymorphisms in relation to FER and other cognitive and behavioral outcomes. The impact of inaccurate FER on psychosocial functioning and potential interventions are also discussed.

Association of Adverse Outcomes With Emotion Processing and Its Neural Substrate in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis

The development of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with psychosis has been associated with behavioral and neuroanatomical deficits related to emotion processing. However, the association between alterations in brain regions subserving emotion processing and clinical outcomes remains unclear. To examine the association between alterations in emotion processing and regional gray matter volumes in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis, and the association with subsequent clinical outcomes. This naturalistic case-control study with clinical follow-up at 12 months was conducted from July 1, 2010, to August 31, 2016, and collected data from 9 psychosis early detection centers (Amsterdam, Basel, Cologne, Copenhagen, London, Melbourne, Paris, The Hague, and Vienna). Participants (213 individuals at CHR and 52 healthy controls) were enrolled in the European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) project. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2018, to April 24, 2019. Emotion recognition was assessed with the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task. Three-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from all participants, and gray matter volume was measured in regions of interest (medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and insula). Clinical outcomes at 12 months were evaluated for transition to psychosis using the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States criteria, and the level of overall functioning was measured through the Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF] scale. A total of 213 individuals at CHR (105 women [49.3%]; mean [SD] age, 22.9 [4.7] years) and 52 healthy controls (25 women [48.1%]; mean [SD] age, 23.3 [4.0] years) were included in the study at baseline. At the follow-up within 2 years of baseline, 44 individuals at CHR (20.7%) had developed psychosis and 169 (79.3%) had not. Of the individuals at CHR reinterviewed with the GAF, 39 (30.0%) showed good overall functioning (GAF score, ≥65), whereas 91 (70.0%) had poor overall functioning (GAF score, <65). Within the CHR sample, better anger recognition at baseline was associated with worse functional outcome (odds ratio [OR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78-0.99; P = .03). In individuals at CHR with a good functional outcome, positive associations were found between anger recognition and hippocampal volume (ze = 3.91; familywise error [FWE] P = .02) and between fear recognition and medial prefrontal cortex volume (z = 3.60; FWE P = .02), compared with participants with a poor outcome. The onset of psychosis was not associated with baseline emotion recognition performance (neutral OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.79-1.09; P = .37; happy OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.84-1.25; P = .81; fear OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.85-1.13; P = .77; anger OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.89-1.12; P = .96). No difference was observed in the association between performance and regional gray matter volumes in individuals at CHR who developed or did not develop psychosis (FWE P < .05). In this study, poor functional outcome in individuals at CHR was found to be associated with baseline abnormalities in recognizing negative emotion. This finding has potential implications for the stratification of individuals at CHR and suggests that interventions that target socioemotional processing may improve functional outcomes.

Cognition and violent behavior in psychotic disorders: A nationwide case-control study

BackgroundThe excess risk of violence in psychotic disorders may partly be explained by impairments in executive functions (EFs) and theory of mind (ToM). However, previous studies have been limited by composite measures of EFs and small samples of inpatients. MethodsData were collected for the research project Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP). Patients with psychotic disorders (N = 891) were recruited from various care settings in the Netherlands. The following neuropsychological tests were administered (targeted cognitive function in parentheses): (i) Continuous Performance Test-HQ (inhibition); (ii) Response Shifting Task (cognitive flexibility); (iii) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third Edition (WAIS-III) Block Design subtest (fluid intelligence); (iv) Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) Mazes Test (planning); (v) Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (affective ToM); and (vi) Hinting Task (cognitive ToM). Lifetime violence was ascertained from medical records and patient interviews. We used analysis of covariance to compare the mean scores of violent and nonviolent patients on each test, adjusting for age and sex. ResultsViolent patients performed significantly worse than nonviolent patients on the WAIS-III Block Design subtest (F [1, 847] = 5.12, p = .024), NAB Mazes Test (F [1, 499] = 5.32, p = .022) and Hinting Task (F [1, 839] = 9.38, p = .002). For the other tests, the between-group differences were nonsignificant. Violent behavior explained no more than 1% of the variance in performance on each test. ConclusionImpairments in EFs and ToM are unlikely to provide useful targets for risk assessment and interventions.

From basic perception deficits to facial affect recognition impairments in schizophrenia

While impaired facial emotion recognition and magnocellular deficits in visual perception are core features of schizophrenia, their relationship is still unclear. Our aim was to analyze the oscillatory background of these processes and to investigate the connection between the magnocellular pathway deficit and the abnormal facial affect processing. Thirty-nine subjects with schizophrenia and forty socially matched healthy controls subjects were enrolled. A 128 channel EEG was recorded in three experimental tasks: first, participants viewed magnocellular biased low-spatial frequency (LSF) and parvocellular biased high-spatial frequency (HSF) Gabor-patches, then faces and houses were presented and in the third task a facial affect recognition task was presented with happy, sad and neutral faces. Event-related theta (4–7 Hz) synchronization (ERS) (i.e. an increase in theta power) by magnocellular biased stimuli was decreased in patients relative to controls, while no similar differences were found between groups in the parvocellular biased condition. ERS was significantly lower in patients compared to healthy controls both in the face and in the emotion recognition task. Theta ERS to magnocellular biased stimuli, but not to parvocellular biased stimuli, were correlated with emotion recognition performance. These findings indicate a bottom up disruption of face perception and emotion recognition in schizophrenia.

Telomere length as a predictor of emotional processing in the brain.

Shorter telomere length (TL) has been associated with the development of mood disorders as well as abnormalities in brain morphology. However, so far, no studies have considered the role TL may have on brain function during tasks relevant to mood disorders. In this study, we examine the relationship between TL and functional brain activation and connectivity, while participants (n = 112) perform a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) facial affect recognition task. Additionally, because variation in TL has a substantial genetic component we calculated polygenic risk scores for TL to test if they predict face‐related functional brain activation. First, our results showed that TL was positively associated with increased activation in the amygdala and cuneus, as well as increased connectivity from posterior regions of the face network to the ventral prefrontal cortex. Second, polygenic risk scores for TL show a positive association with medial prefrontal cortex activation. The data support the view that TL and genetic loading for shorter telomeres, influence the function of brain regions known to be involved in emotional processing.

Social motivational processing and interpersonal function in aging cocaine smokers.

Illicit drug use among aging cohorts is increasing, yet little is known about functional impairments in older drug users. Given the importance of social integration for aging and documented social decrements in cocaine users, we examined social function and its neurocognitive substrates in aging cocaine users relative to carefully matched non-cocaine users. Regular (≥twice/week), long-term (≥15years) cocaine smokers 50-60years old (COCs; n=22; four women) and controls (CTRLs; n=19; four women) underwent standardized probes of social reward and threat processing during functional magnetic resonance imaging and a behavioral facial affect recognition task. Self-report and peer-report of daily interpersonal function were also collected. COCs, and CTRLs reporting current marijuana or alcohol use, were tested after four drug-free inpatient days. COCs had pronounced problems in daily social function relative to CTRLs indicated by both their own and their peers' reports. Compared with CTRLs, COCs had stronger amygdala responses to social threat versus control stimuli, with no other differences in social processing or cognition. Aging cocaine users appear to have marked, generalized difficulties in 'real-world' interpersonal function but largely intact social processing on laboratory-based measures when compared with appropriately matched controls and tested under well-controlled conditions. Daily social difficulties may be related to transient factors such as acute/residual drug effects or cocaine-related changes in health behaviors (e.g. disrupted sleep and poor diet). These data suggest that interpersonal function may be a valid intervention target for aging cocaine users and warrants further study in older drug users.

Exploratory study examining the at-home feasibility of a wearable tool for social-affective learning in children with autism

Although standard behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are effective therapies for social deficits, they face criticism for being time-intensive and overdependent on specialists. Earlier starting age of therapy is a strong predictor of later success, but waitlists for therapies can be 18 months long. To address these complications, we developed Superpower Glass, a machine-learning-assisted software system that runs on Google Glass and an Android smartphone, designed for use during social interactions. This pilot exploratory study examines our prototype tool’s potential for social-affective learning for children with autism. We sent our tool home with 14 families and assessed changes from intake to conclusion through the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), a facial affect recognition task (EGG), and qualitative parent reports. A repeated-measures one-way ANOVA demonstrated a decrease in SRS-2 total scores by an average 7.14 points (F(1,13) = 33.20, p = <.001, higher scores indicate higher ASD severity). EGG scores also increased by an average 9.55 correct responses (F(1,10) = 11.89, p = <.01). Parents reported increased eye contact and greater social acuity. This feasibility study supports using mobile technologies for potential therapeutic purposes.

The relationship of IQ and emotional processing with insula volume in schizophrenia

ObjectiveThe insula is involved in general and social cognition, in particular emotion regulation. Aim of this study is to investigate whether insula volume is associated with Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and emotional processing in schizophrenia patients versus healthy controls (HC). MethodsMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans, IQ and emotional processing tests (Benton Facial Recognition Test [BFRT], Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task [DFAR], Emotional Mentalizing Task [EMT]) were administered in 246 subjects (133 schizophrenia patients and 113 controls). First order linear regression analyses were performed with group as independent variable and IQ/emotional processing test scores as dependent variables. Second order stepwise linear regression analyses were performed with IQ/emotional processing test scores as independent variables (as well as intracranial volumes, age, gender and cannabis abuse) and right/left insula volumes as dependent ones. A final mediation analysis (Sobel test) was performed to verify if IQ or emotional processing test scores could explain the eventual differences in insula volumes between the two groups. ResultsSchizophrenia patients presented lower insula volumes (left: F = 9.72, p < 0.01; right: F = 10.93, p < 0.01) as compared with healthy controls. Smaller insula volumes in schizophrenia patients are mediated by lower IQ scores (Sobel tests: 3.07, p < 0.01 for right insula; 2.72, p < 0.01 for left insula), but not by impairments in emotion processing. ConclusionsIQ, but not emotional processing mediates smaller insula volumes in schizophrenia patients.

Triarchic psychopathy and deficits in facial affect recognition

Impaired socialization due to amygdala dysfunction has been proposed as a factor underlying psychopathy. Supporting this hypothesis, some research indicates that psychopathy is associated with deficits in facial affect recognition, but other studies have failed to find such a relationship. This study investigated whether healthy young adults elevated in psychopathic traits displayed deficits in identifying facial affective displays overall as well as deficits specific to fear recognition. Facial affect recognition was measured in a sample of 110 undergraduate men (n = 36) and women (n = 74). Participants completed the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, and participants' eye gaze was measured using ASL Eye Trac 6. The facial affect recognition task was created using the NimStim facial expression stimuli. Individuals elevated in psychopathic traits did not display deficits in recognition of emotional faces overall or for fearful faces compared to individuals lower in psychopathic traits. However, meanness was negatively correlated with fear identification. We conclude that deficient emotion processing in psychopathic individuals may be specific to ambiguous affective expressions. We discuss implications for the study of psychopathy and emotion processing.

The association between PTSD and facial affect recognition

The major aims of this study were to examine how, if at all, having higher levels of PTSD would be associated with performance on a facial affect recognition task in which facial expressions of emotion are superimposed on emotionally valenced, non-face images. College students with trauma histories (N = 90) completed a facial affect recognition task as well as measures of exposure to traumatic events, and PTSD symptoms. When the face and context matched, participants with higher levels of PTSD were significantly more accurate. When the face and context were mismatched, participants with lower levels of PTSD were more accurate than were those with higher levels of PTSD. These findings suggest that PTSD is associated with how people process affective information. Furthermore, these results suggest that the enhanced attention of people with higher levels of PTSD to affective information can be either beneficial or detrimental to their ability to accurately identify facial expressions of emotion. Limitations, future directions and clinical implications are discussed.

Familial covariation of facial emotion recognition and IQ in schizophrenia

Alterations in general intellectual ability and social cognition in schizophrenia are core features of the disorder, evident at the illness' onset and persistent throughout its course. However, previous studies examining cognitive alterations in siblings discordant for schizophrenia yielded inconsistent results. Present study aimed to investigate the nature of the association between facial emotion recognition and general IQ by applying genetically sensitive cross-trait cross-sibling design. Participants (total n=158; patients, unaffected siblings, controls) were assessed using the Benton Facial Recognition Test, the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III. Patients had lower IQ and altered facial emotion recognition in comparison to other groups. Healthy siblings and controls did not significantly differ in IQ and DFAR performance, but siblings exhibited intermediate angry facial expression recognition. Cross-trait within-subject analyses showed significant associations between overall DFAR performance and IQ in all participants. Within-trait cross-sibling analyses found significant associations between patients' and siblings' IQ and overall DFAR performance, suggesting their familial clustering. Finally, cross-trait cross-sibling analyses revealed familial covariation of facial emotion recognition and IQ in siblings discordant for schizophrenia, further indicating their familial etiology. Both traits are important phenotypes for genetic studies and potential early clinical markers of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.