On the neural basis of emotion processing in depression and anxiety. An fMRI study in outpatients
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: Background: Recognition of others’ emotions is an important aspect of interpersonal communication. In depression, a significant emotion recognition impairment has been reported. It remains unclear whether the ability to recognize emotion from facial expressions is also impaired in anxiety disorders. There is a need to review and integrate the published literature on emotional expression recognition in anxiety disorders and depression. Method: A detailed literature search was used to identify studies on explicit emotion recognition in patients with anxiety disorders and depression compared to healthy participants. Eighteen studies provided sufficient information to be included. The differences on emotion recognition impairment between patients and controls (Cohen’s d) with corresponding confidence intervals were computed for each study. Results: Over all studies, adults with anxiety disorders had a significant impairment in emotion recognition (d = -0.35). In children with anxiety disorders no significant impairment of emotion recognition was found (d = -0.03). Depression was associated with an even larger impairment in recognition of facial expressions of emotion (d = -0.58). Conclusion: Results from the current analysis support the hypothesis that adults with anxiety disorders or depression both have a deficit in recognizing facial expressions of emotion, and that this deficit is more pronounced in depression than in anxiety.
Author: Liliana Ramona Demenescu
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2156692010